


Sweet Dreams

by JenJoanAlley



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, Badass Rey, Connected Dreams, Dreams, F/M, Fanfiction, Feels, Fiction, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, Force Bond, Force Bond (Star Wars), Force-Sensitive Leia Organa, Force-Sensitive Rey, I Blame Tumblr, JUST KISS ALREADY, Jedi Rey, Kylo Ren Needs a Hug, Kylo Ren Redemption, Lemons, Love, POV Alternating, POV Kylo Ren, POV Rey (Star Wars), Post-Star Wars: The Force Awakens, Pre-Star Wars: The Last Jedi, Rey Jinn, Rey Kenobi, Rey and Kylo Ren, Reylo - Freeform, Romance, Romantic Dreams, Sensuality, Sex, Sexy Times, Shameless Smut, Sloppy Makeouts, Smut, Tumblr, Tumblr Prompt, Wickedly Wonderful Week of Reylo, lemonsahead, make love, rey and ben solo, the force made me do it
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-05-17
Updated: 2018-02-17
Packaged: 2018-06-08 22:40:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 29,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6876964
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JenJoanAlley/pseuds/JenJoanAlley
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Based on a tumblr prompt, about Rey and Kylo Ren/Ben Solo sharing the same dream in different places of the galaxy at the same time, (an example being Rey's vision in Maz's basement after she touched Luke's lightsaber, and she see's Kylo for the first time.) And their progression in the story through adventures, horrors, misunderstandings, understandings, feels, and fluff.<br/>If its smut you want, see CHAPTER 12, THE RAIN, and continue on from there :)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. It started with a touch/The pull to the light.

**Author's Note:**

> The chapters will be short, as I am a workaholic. I will post as often as I can, so please be patient. I am going to try and post a chapter at least once a week.  
> Also note, this  
> ~~~~~~~~~~ -->  
> means the end of one character's story, and the start of the next character's bit.  
> I hope you all enjoy this Reylo fic!

Curious, Rey opened the chest and peered inside. Nestled among dusty, old smelling clothes and jewelry, was a strange item. It was long, and sleek. The metal glistened, and even seemed to wink at her in the faint light. She reached a tentative hand inside. The moment her fingers brushed against the item, she heard a loud hiss. She yelped and dropped the lid of the chest and stood up, in a different place. The corridor was long, and dark, with angled walls. “NO!” A little girl’s voice screamed.

“It’s energy.” She heard an old voice say, but she didn’t have time to listen to it. The entire structure seemed to shake, the very steel of the walls groaning under an unknown assault before caving in. Terrified, she ran toward a light, before the corridor collapsed behind her. The shock of it knocked her to the ground. When she rose again, she beheld a rocky landscape, lit with fire. Rey heard a man cry out in great agony, “No!” And saw a man’s figure kneeling on the ground before the flames, as if something terrible had just happened. He reached up and braced one bionic hand against a blue and silver droid beside him. The old man’s voice came back, “It surrounds us…and binds us…” She heard the little girl’s voice again too.

A sharp hiss brought her attention elsewhere, as rain suddenly pounded her back. She glanced over her shoulder, terrified to see a large man with a staff above her, about to deliver a killing strike to her. A black-gloved hand grasped at his staff, stopping him. The man screamed, when a red lightsaber protruded through his chest very suddenly. His body fell away as Rey scrambled up, gazing at the mask of her savior. He was tall. Much taller than her, clad in black from head to toe. His mask was battle scarred, and he carried himself with authority. A group of people in similar garb stood behind him.

The old man’s voice came back again, “The force will be with you...” Rey jumped when the black-clad savior stalked toward her, his menacing lightsaber still lit.

The little girl screamed again, “NO!” She turned around to see a little girl, standing in the desert with Unkar-Plutt holding her thin little arm, “Come back!” She cried. The little girl was her, but much younger. Rey drew back in horror, struggling with her feelings of abandonment and horror, pushing back the tears she knew were coming.

“Quiet girl!” He snapped.

“No!” She screamed one more time at the ship that was leaving the atmosphere.

The old man’s voice came to her again, “Rey?” he called her by name. She turned around again but the girl was gone. Instead she stood in the snow, facing her savior once more. He came around a tree with his lightsaber lit, menacing in the red light. She scrambled back before she tripped and fell. “These are your first steps.” A soft voice whispered.

Rey found herself back in Maz’s basement, her heart pounding in her chest. She turned and looked over her shoulder, to see Maz herself standing there in awe. “What was that?”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Kylo woke up with a start. He had the oddest dream, about a woman. He had dreams of women before, but this one was different. Clearer. He saw every detail of her face, and she was not perfect and sensual. This was not one of those dreams. He had a dream he was back on a rebel planet, putting down a rebellion in a small town, where some ragged bandits were holding up a supply chain. He had taken the Knights of Ren with him to quell the enemy’s efforts, but part of the memory had changed. He looked over after the quell was finished, and saw the woman in a puddle, clothed in pale fabrics with a man standing over her, about to kill her. He moved swiftly to her, feeling a certain desperation rise up in him; he couldn’t let her die. Kylo grasped the man’s staff with ease and pushed his lightsaber through his chest, ripping the life from him quickly and efficiently. She turned over, her wide hazel eyes pulling him in. There seemed to be a light glowing behind her, which felt strange and yet…familiar to him. He moved closer to help her up, but she scrambled away in terror. In the blink of an eye she disappeared with the light. A wave of emptiness washed over him, until he closed his eyes within the dream, and suddenly found himself transported to the snowy landscape, on the Star Killer base in the forest. He heard the rapid crunching of snow and moved to get a better look, his lightsaber drawn to fend off any nightmare-borne creatures, and instead ran into the woman again. Her wide hazel eyes widened further in terror, her small mouth parted in a gasp as she backpedaled away from him, tripping. He reached out to steady her, but she was already gone, dissipated in a cloud of smoke.

“Grandfather.” He whispered after the dream, “Forgive me. The light is still calling me. Please, lend me your strength and your wrath. Show me the path to the Dark Side.

A ping from the door roused him from his prayer, “Kylo?” General Hux’s voice came through the intercom, “We’re ready to use the weapon. The crew awaits your arrival on the bridge to witness the event.”

“I’ll be right there.” Kylo replied, his thoughts already wandering back to the mysterious woman of light in his dreams.


	2. The quiet kidnapping/ A fated meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Kylo meet in the real world for the first time.

Rey had fled into the forest, afraid of Maz’s words, afraid of what her future would be. She had kept her mind on the past because it was safe. She could look back and see all that had happened, but when she looked ahead into the future, she saw a vast expanse before her that could be filled with nothing, or filled with a destiny. Rey was terrified of both of these possibilities. It terrified her to think that she, a simple scavenger could become a Jedi. It terrified her even more to think that she would return to her old life, and die in the desert, having accomplished nothing in her life

A great crash from the sky roused her from her thoughts. Turning her face up, she saw a red light streaking across space, and the planets beyond disappearing in that light. She looked around for Han, but didn’t see him. She ran back to Maz’ bar, wanting Han. She wanted comfort, someone who could comprehend what had happened, and tell her how it was.

TIE Fighters zoomed overhead, and by the time she reached Maz’ bar, her monument was toppling to the ground while the towers collapsed. From around them came a huge black ship, landing softly beside the fallen structure. “FN-417, hold position.” A stormtrooper’s coms disturbed the terrible scene. Rey grabbed the gun from her belt, pointed it at him and pulled the trigger. It clicked softly.  
“No! Safety!” She whispered to herself, fumbling with the weapon for a moment. The Stormtrooper must have heard her, because he turned and saw her, taking a shot. She ducked out of the way and fired twice, hitting the Stormtrooper with her second shot. He went down hard, and didn’t get up again.

Rey felt a surge of awe and horror, at the new power she wielded, but she did not have time to dwell on her first kill in cold blood, “Come on!” BB-8 cried, as she turned toward other nearby Stormtroopers, shooting at them. She didn’t have time to see if she hit any, when they saw her position and fired back. Swift as a doe, Rey dove into the woods.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Kylo’s aircraft touched ground. As soon as the gate opened, he was out in the fray. He kept his Force senses wide open, feeling for any hostile activity to move in his direction. If he sensed someone’s thoughts turning toward him, he turned them away, allowing him to patrol the battlefield unmolested by any enemy. Hux had sent him to this blasted planet because of a report that the girl and the droid were here, and he had personally wanted to find them both.

Walking through the open doorway of a destroyed temple, and carefully stepping over bodies, he got a “situation report” from a nearby Stormtrooper, “Sir. The droid was spotted heading west. With a girl.” He added. Kylo didn’t hesitate to leave the premises, having filtered through the stormtrooper’s mind to find out where she went into the woods.

As soon as he reached the forest, he felt her presence lingering in the area. Her very footsteps had left a mark, and left a wake of Light energy. Something about the lingering energy reminded him of the woman in his dreams, and he hoped dearly that it wasn’t her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``

Rey took a shot at another Stormtrooper. His dying scream followed her as she continued to flee deeper into the woods. She paused and crouched behind a thick tree, “You have to keep going. Stay out of sight.” She told BB-8, “I’ll try to fight them off.”

“I hope you make it.” The little droid said.

“I hope so too.” Rey sprinted back the way she had come, ready to fight for BB-8, for her friends, for the Jedi. For the future.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``

Kylo found a group of Stormtroopers regrouping after a brief spat with the girl. He ordered all but two of them to go back to the battle to fend off the rebels, while he went after the girl himself. As he tracked her further into the woods, he sensed her presence growing stronger. He saw the flash of a sash go behind a tree, then up a rock. ‘She’s quick.’ He thought to himself as he prowled closer, his lightsaber drawn and ready to bring her down. She had killed nearly a dozen of his men single handedly. This girl was a menace, an obstacle that needed removing. He flourished his lightsaber as he walked, warming up his muscles in anticipation of a fight, as he followed the presence into a little mossy-rock ravine.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``

As Rey fled deeper into the forest, she felt something, or someone chasing her. It was a presence she had never felt before. It was large, and it was dark. She had felt this presence somewhere before, but she couldn’t place her finger on it, and certainly wasn’t going to invest in the thought while she was on the run. Like a rabbit peeking its head from a hole, she peered around a mossy rock, her gun pointed in the general direction of what or who was following her. The sounds f the battle echoed through the forest, as did the sound of a lightsaber rushing through the air. In a little rocky ravine, she kept herself pressed against the rock, grounding herself to the planet beneath her  
Suddenly, the dark presence revealed itself, cloaked in black with a dark mask obscuring his face, his red lightsaber aglow. Terrified, Rey reflexively shot at her follower. To her dismay, her enemy easily blocked her attack. Nimbly, in a desperate attempt to escape, she clambered up the side of the rocks, feeling fear wriggle deep into her heart.

Again she faced her attacker firing as he rose from the ravine effortlessly, blocking her shots at him. With a wave of his hand, she froze in place. Rey’s heart thudded hard in her chest as she quivered and grunted where she stood, unable to move. The black clad figure strode to her, “The girl I’ve heard so much about.” A deep voice said to her. He drew closer to her, circling her, analyzing her, seeming to size her up against what he had heard, taking in her simple scavenger garb. She could see a smirk behind the mask, as she struggled against the dark force that kept her rooted in place. “The droid.” He said from behind her, “Where is it?” Her eyes became glued to the red saber at the side of her neck, heating her skin uncomfortably.

He stepped around her, his steps silent. His lightsaber fell to his side as his other hand rose up. Again he drew close to her, his hand reaching towards her face. Rey felt a great presence enter her mind, brutishly pushing all her memories aside, looking for something in her thoughts. Pain coursed through her body as he did this, “The map.” He breathed, “You’ve seen it.”

Rey’s eyes widened at his words, feeling him focus on the memory of BB-8 showing the map to her on the Millennium Falcon. She fought to keep that memory closed off from him, even as she felt him try to rip the memory from her mind. Rey got the impression that he wasn’t really trying all that hard to take the knowledge from her right there, feeling a great power within the presence that had invaded her mind. His hand finally touched her face. She felt the tender touch of warmth, and his through his glove. His touch calmed her, and for a blissful moment, she wasn't afraid.

A voice broke through the following silence, making him jump away from her, “Sir, Resistance fighters. We need more troops.” A stormtrooper said.

“Pull the division out.” He ordered, “Forget the droid. We have what we need.” Rey felt an intense pang of fear pull at her pulse, before the world seemed to rush away from her and darken. Her last impression was that she was falling, and then being lifted up.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``

Kylo saw her. The girl, the woman from his dreams. She had the same expression of fear painted on her face, as she fired at him repeatedly. He could sense how scared she was. He deflected her shots easily, flourishing his lightsaber as he exerted his control over the Force to freeze her in place. Her wide eyes reminded him of a cornered rabbit, too frightened to do anything but quiver in place and accept the fate it knew was coming.

Kylo drew closer, “The girl I’ve heard so much about.” He took several more steps towards her, and sized her up, taking in her simple scavenger garb. It was pale cloth, stained by dirt and oil, bleached by the sun. Her skin had also been touched by the sun, but she wasn’t worn down by it. Her long limbs were shaped by years of work, though her body still clung to a feminine figure that he found somewhat pleasing. Kylo cleared his mind of her distracting eyes and walked behind her, refocusing on his mission. “The droid.” He put his lightsaber close to her neck, “Where is it?”

The woman kept her mouth shut, stubbornly fighting him even as she quaked in fear. Frustrated by her resistance, Kylo extended a hand toward her head, reaching into her mind with the Force. He sifted through her memories, the way a Stormtrooper would raid a home. He knew his violent search within her mind caused her pain, but he didn’t care. He needed her to talk, to tell him where the droid was so he could find Luke Skywalker before the rebels.

The look of pain on her face pained him, so he closed his eyes behind his mask so he wouldn’t have to see her like that. Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of something in her mind, “The map.” He breathed, “You’ve seen it.”

He looked at her again, to see more pain and fear, but this time her fear seemed directed towards his discovery. She was obviously loyal to a cause she had only just learned about. For some reason, he couldn’t access her memory of the map completely.

As he dug harder into her memory, he felt a certain part of him hate what he was doing. Kylo pushed away that part. It was Ben in him that pulled Kylo toward the light. It was Ben that felt sorry for the girl, that wanted to protect her, to save her from a fate he knew Kylo would bring upon her. His hand finally touched her face. He felt her warmth, her light through his glove, sending flames through his veins. How he longed to hold her close, and take the fear from her eyes.

“Sir.” A stormtrooper captain interrupted, making him drop his hand and jump back in surprise. “Resistance fighters.” Kylo sighed and stepped away from the woman, facing his entourage, “We need more troops.”

He scowled behind his mask, “Pull the division out. Forget the droid. We have what we need.” Kylo replied, moving toward the woman again. With a wave of his hand, he rendered her unconscious. He scooped her up into his arms as she fell, easily lifting her thin frame, carrying her through the forest, and back to his ship. He could have easily thrown her to his Stormtroopers to carry, but some part of him, Ben perhaps, longed to touch her, to make the woman from his dreams tangible. He would delve deeper into his thoughts and dreams once he reached the base with the woman. ‘Rey.’ Ben said, ‘Her name is Rey.’


	3. The Interrogation/ The Discovery

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Kylo in the interrogation room, where they make some interesting discoveries about one another.

Rey awoke with a start, and found herself restrained in a metal chair, in a nearly upright position. The room around her was cold and grey, with only a single light above her to illuminate the room. It took her eyes a moment to focus, when she saw the figure she once thought to be her black clad savior, now turned captor crouching in front of her. “Where am I” she demanded, feeling her lip tremble. She could feel some dark presence in the room, swirling around her, stalking her. She felt hunted and the feeling frightened her. His head tilted slightly, “You’re my guest.” “Where are the others?” “Do you mean the murderers, traitors, and thieves, you call friends?” Rey’s breath caught in her throat, “You’ll be relieved to hear I have no idea.” Relief did indeed wash over her at his confession. His head tilted again, “You still want to kill me.” It was not a question. Rey’s mouth tightened, “That happens when you’re being hunted by a creature in a mask.” She was determined to show no fear. She was going to get through this, no matter what. The black robed figure before her though took her by surprise. Instead of responding, he took off his helmet and stood up. Thick, silky black hair spilled out of the helm, framing a long pale face and deep brown eyes. Rey took a long shaky breath, taking in the man before her. He dropped the mask beside him and stalked closer, his thick boots thudding against the metal floor. She kept her face stoic, ready for whatever punishment he might inflict upon her. “Tell me about the droid.” He said with a surprisingly gentle voice. Rey had fully expected shouting, or even a physical blow. Rey took a deep breath, “He’s a BB unit with a selenium drive and a thermal hyperscan vindicator.” She rattled off the little robot’s specs. “Its carrying a section of a navigational chart. We have the rest,” The man said casually, glancing into her eyes, “Recovered from the archives of the Empire, but we need the last piece. Somehow you convinced the droid to show it to you.” His eyes narrowed, “You. A scavenger.” Rey’s eyes began to fill with tears. He looked up and down her again before meeting her eyes, “You know I can take whatever I want.” He raised a hand close to her head and began to dig into her mind again. Pain erupted in her mind. She’d had headaches before, but this was a whole new level of pain inside her head. She could feel his mind, his very touch inside her consciousness, like two claws digging through her memories, violently tossing aside anything irrelevant to his search. Finally, he seemed to pause in his search, on a memory she least expected. It was the memory of being abandoned on Jakku with Unkar-Plutt. “You’re so lonely.” He whispered, bringing that memory to the surface. All the emotions she felt as a child then, were fresh, as if it were happening all over again. Tears streamed down Rey’s face as she cowered in a corner of her mind, “So afraid to leave.” He dug deeper, the pain agitating her, “At night, desperate to sleep…you imagine an ocean. I see it.” Rey found a smattering of courage in her, as he tore further into her very vulnerable childhood, “I see the island.” He turned his attention away from her childhood, latching onto a fairly new thought, with ties to her childhood. He followed that thread of thought, “And Han Solo. You feel like he’s the father you never had.” Rey panted hard, fighting tears, and fighting his touch, “He would have disappointed you.” His claws raked at her mind, further agitating her. “Get out of my head.” She grunted. Rey leaned back in surprise when she felt her captor’s mind leave hers. The headache went away, and the relief of having her own mind to herself again was so pure, she let a stray tear course down her cheek. He pulled back, his hand moving with him, before advancing in front of her, “I know you’ve seen the map. It’s in there…and now you’ll give it to me.” At once, Rey felt his mind surge into her own, like a bear breaking down the door into her mind. She bared her teeth in pain, futilely trying to protect herself from his claws. The headache came back even stronger this time, and she thought that her head would burst if he pushed against her mind any harder. “Don’t be afraid, I feel it too.” He said softly. She breathed through the pain and groaned, “I’m not giving you anything,” Rey thought she saw a hint of a smirk on his face as he said, “We’ll see.” With a sound like thunder, he battered the feeble barriers around the memory of the map inside her mind. With a deep breath, Rey submerged herself in the pain. Her captor seemed frustrated by her efforts, drawing back like an ocean wave, only to surge forward again even harder than before. Her breath came in short bursts, her chest seizing up as she felt herself wither beneath the pain. Somewhere inside the pain, she felt a shallow pool of calm. When she touched that, she could see all that was happening inside of her mind. Instead of fighting her captor’s attack, she reached out toward his vicious claws, and felt her way along them until she found herself in a completely different place. There were other memories all around her, memories that were not her own. She sat up in her chair, focusing on his eyes. ‘Kylo. Kylo Ren.’ She had found his name. She saw somewhere in the back of his mind, there was someone small sitting in a cage, ‘Ben Solo. Han Solo’s son.’ Rey found his mind well organized, much like the old Empire ships she used to scavenge parts from. Nimbly, she stepped through his mind, picking at different memories, but leaving them where she found them. She searched through his mind the same way she scavenged parts off a ship, finding the important bits. She traced Kylo’s parenthood, seeing his family link to Luke Skywalker, and Darth Vader himself. Many of Kylo’s thoughts and memories swirled around Darth Vader. A lot of his power was centered around him too. Rey latched onto a thought that raced by her, “You.” She managed to spit out, “You’re afraid.” Kylo’s eyes widened in frustration and fear. He seemed surprised by her remark, “That you will never be as strong as Darth Vader.” Kylo jumped back, his hand pulling away from her, and taking the painful headache away with it. When he did so, she lost her grip on his mind. Rey gasped, feeling herself safe within her own mind once again, relief washing over her, quenching the burning pain that left her body when Kylo pulled away from her. She met his eyes, and was surprised to see him trembling in fear and horror, his lips parted in surprise. He turned away and stormed out of the room, his cloak flapping behind him, posting a Stormtrooper at the door as he left, leaving Rey alone to gather her thoughts and memories. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`` Kylo Ren recounted the capture of Rey to Snoke, withholding nothing. He told him about his easy capture of the woman. He told him of the interrogation. He waited for her to wake up, watching her carefully. He could have easily invaded her mind while she was unconscious, but he didn’t want to. Something about their meeting in the forest had piqued his interest, and he wanted to know more about her while she was fully awake and aware of him. Bored, he crouched in place on the opposite side of the room, still watching her. She was quite beautiful, but in a quiet way. If she had been in a room full of women, she would not have called attention to herself, but she would have stood out nevertheless. Something about her intrigued him. Seeing her like this, he wanted to protect her from Snoke. He knew he had to get the information out of Rey, but if he brought her to Snoke… she would break, and he was terrified of seeing what would become of her after Snoke was finished with her. He nudged her mind with his own, like a bear nudging around a house, feeling for vulnerabilities, weaknesses. Kylo watched her wake up suddenly, observing where she was at. She looked like a rabbit to him, looking at everything, seeking out any threats. He swore he just might have seen her nose quiver once. Her lip trembled as she spoke, “Where am I?” Kylo smirked, ‘This is going to be so easy.’ He decided to see how uncomfortable he could make her, “You’re my guest.” He said simply. “Where are the others?” His face hardened beneath his helm, “You mean the murderers, traitors, and thieves you call friends?” He let his mind reach out and feel around the outside of her mind, stalking, looking for any gaps or weaknesses, “You’ll be relieved to hear I have no idea.” Her pink lips had stopped trembling, and now she held her gaze even with his. He felt the turn of her thoughts easily, riding the swift change as easily as one rides a tauntaun. “You still want to kill me.” He observed, tilting his head like a predator, watching for any weaknesses.  
“That happens when you’re being hunted by a creature in a mask.” Kylo bit down a laugh, ‘She’s trying to be brave.’ Putting on a serious face, he raised his hands to his helmet, pressed on it, and stood as he pulled it off, flicking his hair away from his face. He looked deep into her hazel eyes, much brighter now without his helmet filtering the light. Putting his helm down, he swaggered close to her, observed her stoic expression as she determinedly kept her gaze averted from his, and spoke softly, “Tell me about the droid.” Rey proceeded to rattle off the specs of the droid, which annoyed him greatly, “It’s carrying a section of a navigational chart.” He interrupted, “We have the rest, recovered from the archives of the Empire, but we need the last piece.” Kylo said to her casually. “Somehow you convinced the droid to show it to you. You.” He launched the word at her like a spear, “A scavenger.” His words hit their mark, when he noted the tears glistening in her eyes. He was close now, so close to making her spill the information. He had tortured women before, in a similar fashion. Some he tortured more viciously than Rey. He had done horrible things to them, which he hoped that he would not do to Rey, “You know I can take whatever I want.” He whispered after he had glanced up and down the length of her lean body. He put his hand near her head, and pressed his mind against hers, easily gaining entry. He pushed further in, and began to dig through her mind mercilessly. Any resistance he met, he easily dispatched it, sending her conscious-self cowering in the back of her mind. He came across a particularly vulnerable memory and started with that, “You’re so lonely.” He dredged up the memory, pulling her underlying emotions to the surface. This process he knew would hurt her, because it hurt him too. When he shared this mental link with someone, he could feel everything they were feeling. He was able to overcome such feelings however, through the power of the Dark side. He quelled those emotions rising within him, and kept digging into her memory, “So afraid to leave.” He pulled more memories up to the surface until he found another vulnerable memory. He touched it and pushed it toward her, “At night, desperate to sleep… you imagine an ocean.” Kylo found himself surrounded by sand, atop a fallen AT-AT walker, with an ocean rising and falling around him. The memory felt peaceful, and comfortable. He was determined to make it uncomfortable for her. “I see it.” He said, focusing on her weaknesses, “I see the island.” As he dug deeper into her memories, he relinquished the picture of the island, and was surprised by a recent memory that Rey had linked to her comfort memory, the ocean. “Han Solo.” He swallowed, regaining his composure, “You feel like he’s the father you never had.” Kylo quelled a Dark rage within him over Han, “He would have disappointed you.” He added spitefully. “Get out of my head.” Rey snapped at him. He looked at her in surprise, seeing her cheeks wet with more tears. He acquiesced, pulling away from her mind and her memories. Kylo regained his own thoughts, immersing himself in his own mind, finding his drive. He had enough of toying with her mind, and decided he was going to finish her off without physically harming her. He drew back, “I know you’ve seen the map.” He said firmly, “It’s in there.” Kylo leveled his gaze at hers, preparing. “And now you’ll give it to me.” He rammed into her mind, breaking down her defenses easily. It was once he got inside her head, that he met resistance. He felt her pain, and her fear, and every emotion that was coursing through her veins. He could feel her heart thudding against her chest, and the hot tears on her cheeks. He felt everything. “Don’t be afraid,” Kylo said softly, “I feel it too.” “I’m not giving you anything.” His prisoner groaned. Kylo smirked. He had heard that before, “We’ll see.” He thundered forward in her mind, creating havoc for her, flinging memories every which way as he dug around for the map. He pressed harder against her weak spots, making her groan and gasp. With another blow, he searched in her mind, his task enveloping him. He felt a cool touch brush against his mind, but he paid no attention to it. He nearly had the map. Frustration overwhelmed him. He had the memory of the map in his grasp, in his hands, and for some reason, he could not access it. She would not let him in. Rey leveled her gaze with his and said one word, “You.” He wavered for a moment. She continued to speak, “You’re afraid.” His eyes widened. “That you will never be a strong as Darth Vader.” Kylo jumped back, as if she had pushed him hard. He trembled where he stood, fear and awe flooding through him, ‘How? How did she do that?’ he turned on his heel and stormed away quickly, ordering one of the Stormtroopers outside to stand guard over her while he spoke with Snoke, all the while pondering Rey, seeing her strength more and more with each step he took as he recalled what had happened.


	4. The Escape/ The Runaway

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Post-interrogation scene. Rey uses the Force on her own for the first time, and Kylo receives new orders from Leader Snoke.

The moment Kylo left, Rey began to test her bonds. When the locked resetraints didn’t budge, she began to meditate on what she had gleaned from Kylo’s mind during his interrogation of her. He had somehow managed to manipulate people into doing what he wanted, simply by stating what he wanted from them and using the Force on them. She recalled a story Luke had told Kylo, about how an old wise man named Obi Wan Kenobe had gotten two Rebel droids past two Empire Stormtroopers at a checkpoint by simply telling them, “These aren’t the droids you’re looking for.”

  
Rey glanced over at the Stormtrooper, to make sure she was alone with him. Desperately, she said, “You will remove these restraints, and leave this cell with the door open.”

  
The Stormtrooper turned, “What did you say?” He spit out. Rey repeated herself, watching the Stormtrooper carefully as he approached her. “I will tighten those restraints, scavenger scum.”

  
Rey focused her thoughts, and found that calm pool of energy in her mind, “You will remove these restraints, and leave this cell with the door open.” She said calmly.

  
The stormtrooper’s posture relaxed, “I will remove these restraints and leave this cell with the door open.” He pressed a button, and suddenly the clamps that had kept her prisoner, were wide open as she looked on in disbelief. The Stormtrooper turned on his heel and began to walk out, opening the door.

  
“And you’ll drop your weapon!” Rey added.

  
“Aaand I’ll drop my weapon.” The Stormtrooper repeated, his firearm hitting the ground with a solid clunk. She jumped out of the seat and bolted for the door, scooping up the weapon as she did so, looking both ways down the hall, before picking a direction and going with her gut.

  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``

  
“The scavenger…resisted _you_?” Snoke snapped.

  
“She is strong with the Force! Untrained, but stronger than she knows!” Ren cried, recalling the interrogation. How was he to know how strong Rey was? When he had sifted through her memories, he must have unearthed something inside of her, something even she didn’t know was inside of her.

  
“And the droid?!” Snoke demanded.

  
Hux came up behind Kylo, “Ren believed it was no longer valuable to use, that the _girl_ was all we needed. As a result, the droid has most likely been returned to the hands of the enemy. They may have the map already.”

  
“Then the resistance must be destroyed…before they get to Skywalker.”

  
Hux spoke again, “We have their location. We tracked their reconnaissance ship to the Ileenium System.”

  
“Good.” Snoke said approvingly to Hux. It was obvious to Kylo, the power that Snoke had over both of them, like rival dogs seeking to please their master. It sickened him that a man not sensitive to the Force, could rise above him. “We will crush them once and for all. Prepare the weapon.”

  
Kylo, desperate for his approval spoke up, “Supreme Leader, I can get the map from the girl. I just need your guidance.” He did this in an effort to soften Snoke, hoping that he would give Kylo the chance to get the information from the girl himself, and keep her safe from Snoke.

  
As Hux walked away, Snoke spoke directly to him, “If what you say about this girl is true… **bring her to me**.” Kylo’s heart shuddered in his chest as he acknowledged his master’s order.

  
Snoke’s head tilted, “This scavenger…you have compassion for her.”

“No-never. Compassion? For an enemy of the Order?”

“It appears that a reminder is in order, Kylo Ren. I will show you, and the girl the Dark side. Bring the scavenger girl to me.” Snoke continued, “I perceive the problem. It isn’t her _strength_ that is making you fail. It’s **_your weakness_**.” As he walked back to the interrogation room, he mulled over Snoke’s words, and concocted a plan. He would not deliver her to Snoke, as he had delivered others before her, to watch them be broken in the most cruel and creative ways. Instead, he would flee the planet with her. He would take her somewhere safe. She had so much potential, if only he could teach her how to harness her powers and bring her to his side. He would not turn her over. He would save her.

  
Perhaps he would take her back to the planet Takodana, where he captured her. She liked the landscape, the green, and it was now a familiar place. Perhaps she would be somewhat at home with Maz, or near there. Kylo knew he could pay the right people to keep her there, and keep her comfortable, if he could get to her before Hux and Snoke.

  
Kylo though that perhaps one day she would soften to him, that she may grow someday to like him. He would not force himself upon her, he had done enough damage already in his quest to find Luke Skywalker, but he would not endanger the woman from his dreams, surrounded by light. Perhaps as he taught her the power of the Dark side, she would redeem him with her Light.


	5. Running/ Seeking

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey's escape from the interrogation room, and Kylo's search for her.

She wound her way through the twists and turns of the base, navigating easily. The layout was almost identical to the old Empire ships she used to scavenge from. If she could just get to an air hangar, she could steal a ship, or get out into the open air, or send a message to Han and Finn.

  
She found a hangar, but between her and the TIE fighters was a massive chasm, that seemed to go on forever. Around the corner, thirty feet away were two Stormtroopers chatting, “Have you checked out the new T-17s?”

  
“The T-17s as far as I can tell, are a great improvement.”

  
“Yeah. That’s what they tell you, but believe me, they don’t hold up.” The pair of them stood between her, and the only way to the TIE fighters, sitting at the other side.

  
“They don’t?”

“Nope.”

The thudding footsteps of an approaching squad made her hurry, as she slung her weapon across her back, and she scaled down the wall into the chasm a good three feet beneath their boots. About five feet under her shoes though, was a service hatch. She had found similar ones before that had straight pathways in and out of the ships and had some really great parts, but now this hatch was her way out.

Rey carefully stepped down, watching her feet and feeling the smooth steel beneath her hands as she worked her way down. She gave the handle a good tug, leaning out into the chasm. She struggled with it for a minute before she managed to get it down. The hatch beside her opened up in a gust of steam. The space was narrow, and she thanked the stars that she was thin enough to slip in, as the door closed behind her.

The tunnel was clean, but dark, and unfortunately short. She hit the other side, with a door too soon, and found herself in another chasm. Sighing, she climbed the side and looked around, not seeing any Stormtroopers. ‘They must all be in the hangar I was just in.’ she thought, hoisting herself up onto the floor.

After dodging more squads of Stormtroopers, she jumped in surprise with her gun drawn, to see Han, Finn, and Chewie together. “You all right?” Han asked her.

“Yeah.” She gasped, lowering her gun.

“Good.”

Finn however, seemed a little more concerned, “What happened to you? Did he hurt you?!”

Rey however, was more surprised to see him here on the base. “What are you doing here?”

“We came back for you!” Finn replied. Chewie grumbled behind him, “What’d he say?”

She looked at him in surprise, “That it was your idea.” Rey couldn’t believe it, that he would come back to the Order, just to save her. The last time she saw him, he was headed for the far end of the galaxy, away from the Order. She hugged him, grateful and proud that he was being brave for her. “Thank you.”

“How did you get away?” He asked her, returning the embrace.

Rey thought back to her using the Force to trick the Stormtrooper, “I can’t explain it, and you wouldn’t believe it!”

Han came over, “Escape now, hug later?” She immideately released Finn, and followed Han and Chewie to the elevator, where he picked up Han’s jacket and thrust it at him.

Outside in the cold air, it was chaos all around. A fighter plane smashed into the snow in a plume of smoke, barely a quarter of a mile away from them. “They’re in trouble, we can’t leave!” Han said, turning to Finn and Rey, “My friend’s got a bag full of explosives. Let’s use them.” They crossed the expanse of snow quickly, getting into a new elevator. The moment the doors opened, Han started shooting at a pair of Stormtroopers, until they both went down.

Rey and Finn went into a nearby panel, where she easily located a fuse to open all the doors. The part came out much easier on the base, than on Jakku. She caught herself before she put the part in her pocket.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``

‘This is it.’ Kylo thought to himself as he rounded the corner to Rey’s cell. He was going to get her into a small transport pod, and get her somewhere safe, somewhere only he would be able to find her, somewhere out of reach of the Order.

The first thing he noticed, was that the door was wide open, and the Stormtrooper he had posted, was nowhere to be seen. To his great horror, the chair was empty, rage engulfed him fearing that Hux had already taken the girl and had Rey on her way to Snoke. “No!” He gasped, rolling his shoulders, struggling to contain his emotions. In one swift motion, he drew his lightsaber, ignited it, and whipped it around in a circle, slicing the chair in half, screaming. “GUARDS!” he screamed again, hacking the chair to pieces, letting his wrath carry to the rest of the room, the equipment becoming a mess of molten wires and metal in seconds, sparks flying in every direction, “ **GUARDS!** ”

After what felt like ages, a pair of Stormtroopers entered the room. He could feel their anxiety and fear rolling off of them, like a foul stench. “ **GET ME THE SECURITY FOOTAGE FOR THIS ROOM NOW!** ” he screamed, sending them scurrying away.  
They returned moments later with a small visual pad that revealed to Kylo, the true nature of her disappearance. He watched her use the Force to manipulate a Stormtrooper, and escape with his firearm. He marched off, feeling for Rey’s mind with the Force.

  
“Sir!” A young Stormtrooper said, “Sensors triggered in hangar 718. We’re searching the area.”

  
Kylo walked back to her and leaned forward, “She’s just beginning to test her powers. The longer it takes to find her, the more dangerous she becomes.” He stalked off to the hangar, desperate to find her, reaching out into the minds of each Stormtrooper he passed, to see if they had caught a glimpse of her somewhere. He found no sign of her in their memories, and he only grew more agitated with each step. He fingered his lightsaber anxiously, his thoughts filled only with Rey. He pushed the boundaries of his mind, feeling in every direction for her. Somewhere he felt a flicker of Light energy, but just as quickly as he felt it, it was gone. She was hiding from him.

A lieutenant met him on a bridge, “Sir, she was not found in Hangar 718, but all troops are on alert.”

“Put every hangar on lockdown.” Kylo ordered, “She’s going to try to steal a ship to esc-“ he broke off his sentence, “Han Solo.” He breathed, turning around. The familiar presence of his father threw his focus, and he lost his grip on the Force. He was hot on her trail, and she had slipped away from him again.


	6. The Dawning/ The Darkness.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cover's Han's death, and Kylo Ren tracks down Finn and Rey in the forest.

Kylo stalked the lower center of the oscillator, feeling his way around for his father. ‘The old man is craftier than a fox.’ He concluded, unable to get a lock on Han Solo’s location. He would draw him out then. Kylo walked out onto the bridge, his heavy boots thudding, producing sharp echoes against the open space. Wherever he was, Han would not be able to resist following him into the open.

  
Sure enough, he heard him call out, “Ben!” It was a voice full of authority, which Han did not have over him.

“Han Solo.” Kylo replied, “I’ve been waiting for this day for a long time.”

Han ignored his statement and walked forward, “Take off that mask. You don’t need it.” Rey and Finn entered a balcony above.

“What do you think you’ll see if I do?”

Han looked him in the eye through the slits of his helmet, “The face of my son.”

Rey gasped, going back to when she and Han were on the ship, _“Until a boy destroyed it all.”_ ‘He’s Han’s son. He’s the one that destroyed Luke Skywalker’s school.’

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

Finally, Kylo pulled his helm over his head, and looked Han in the eyes. Han staggered back, surprised to see the boy he knew, grown up. His thick black hair had grown out into a mane around his face, framing his mother’s eyes, and showing his father’s jawline and stance. Ben had grown into a man during their time apart. “Your son,” He spit out, “Is gone. He was weak and foolish like his father, so I destroyed him.”

“That’s what Snoke wants you to believe.” Han said, walking toward his son, that hard lines of his face softening, “But it’s not true. My son is alive.”

“No.” Came the reply, “The Supreme Leader is wise.” The words sounded so childish coming from his mouth.

“Snoke is using you for your power.” Han insisted, “When he gets what he wants, he’ll crush you.” Han almost chocked on his words, near tears as he came closer and closer to his son. “You know it’s true.”

“It’s too late.”

“No it’s not. Leave here with me. Come home.” Han’s eyes finally softened, “We miss you.” The statement was like a caress.  
Now it was Kylo Ren’s turn to soften. His dark brown eyes, once steely with resolve were now softened with tears. His mouth curved down, as if he were about to start crying. He felt a realization creep over him. It was here that he would make his choice. To follow Snoke, or break away. He wanted desperately for Snoke to continue training him. To become a Sith, he had to kill someone he loved. He knew that deep down, he loved his father, but he loved Rey too. He had to make a decision, to hide his true feelings for Rey from Snoke. He could feel the shreds of light within him, ripping and tearing at the darkness in him. It left a bleeding, aching hole within him. “I am being torn apart.” He said, “I want to be free of this pain.” He swayed in place for a moment, “I know what I have to do, but I don’t know if I have the strength to do it.” He looked up at Han with large eyes, “Will you help me?”

“Yes.” Han said, hope rising in his eyes, “Anything.”

Kylo removed his lightsaber from his holster, and held it out. Han took it in his hands, not looking at the crude weapon, as the sun behind them faded.

In the blink of an eye, Kylo turned the saber to Han, and stabbed him through his chest. Han’s eyes widened in pain and shock, “NO!!” Rey screamed as Kylo thrust the saber further through his chest. He trembled as he looked his father in the eye.

“Thank you.” His voice shook, and then he ripped the blade free. Han’s face never changed, but Kylo flinched when his hand rose up to his face. To his great surprise, his father gently laid his hand upon his cheek in a tender caress, before he fell off the bridge and into the vast abyss below.

Chewie bellowed and took a shot at Kylo, skimming the bottom of his ribcage. Kylo cried out and fell to one knee, clutching the wound.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

 

Rey stood there, watching in horror until Finn took her arm and pulled her behind him, “Come on! The Falcon is this way!” Behind them, X-Wing fighters dropped bombs on the oscillator repeatedly, until the structure exploded behind them.

 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 

With the oscillator fatally damaged, the integrity of the planet was compromised. He had to catch up to her, to warn her. The planet was no longer safe. He had wanted to keep Rey on the base not as his prisoner, but as his guest. He wanted to keep her safe, away from harm, away from the horrors of the galaxy. Away from Snoke. He feared that if she ever met Snoke, the light within her would be snuffed out, her bright eyes would darken, and she would be another slave of Snokes. The thought of Rey no longer being who she was, disturbed a part of Kylo that he never knew existed.

He trudged through the snow, tracking Rey’s mind with his own as the bitter cold plagued him and his wound. He punched the damaged tissue in his side repeatedly, trying to overcome the pain. Finally he stopped, waiting for Rey and Finn to come around the trees. They did, and he drew his lightsaber, ready to fight.

This man, Finn, standing beside her. Ren felt jealousy overwhelm him. He should be the one standing beside her. ‘No.´ Ren thought, ‘I have to bury my feelings for her. I have to be one with the Dark Side. If I allow myself to love her, to love her light, I’ll never become a Sith.’ He snarled, setting his eyes on his grandfather’s lightsaber.


	7. The Battle/ The Dance

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo and Rey fight.

Rey glared at Kylo as he fired up his saber, “We’re not done yet.”

  
“You’re a monster.” She spit in reply.

“It’s just us now. Han Solo can’t save you.” Kylo grunted, punching the wound in his side repeatedly, spraying blood on the snow. Angrily, Rey lifted her stolen blaster, ready to take Kylo’s life in vengeance. Before she could shoot however, Kylo lifted his hand, taking Rey off the ground, and throwing her into a tree. “REY!!” Finn screamed. Her head made a painful thud against the trunk, and fell unconscious before she hit the snow.

  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

  
FN-2187, Finn, threw his blaster away, scrambling to Rey’s side, saying her name over and over as he cradled her in his arms. Kylo felt jealousy threaten to overcome him. He spun his lightsaber to get his attention, before taking on a wide stance, “TRAITOOR!” He screamed, slashing the air with his saber.

  
This had the desired effect, drawing Finn up and away from Rey. He drew the old lightsaber and ignited it, “That lightsaber,” Kylo hissed, “It belongs to me.”

“Come get it!” Finn snarled back, screaming as he ran forward to attack.

Kylo easily deflected the strike. He battered at Finn’s saber, never trying to strike him, just merely trying to wear him out…to force him into submission. In five moves, Kylo knocked Finn to the ground. He spun, hissing between his teeth as he punched his wounded ribs again, defying his physical pain.

Finn scrambled up while his back was turned and charged forward. Kylo sensed him coming easily, ducking beneath the blue blade, feeling the sharp, pointed tendrils of anger in Finn’s consciousness. He saw his moves coming before Finn even followed through with them. In a show of confidence, Kylo spun, his lightsaber above his head, taking a deep breath before he plunged forward with it, striking Finn’s saber and pushing him against a tree. Twisting his saber expertly, Kylo began to press the hilt of his saber against Finn, the heat of his lightsaber burning his shoulder. Kylo looked at him with indifference as he screamed in agony. When he finally relented, he swung just above Finn’s head, frustrated that he would not yield. They battered one another’s sabers, Finn getting a lucky shot as he slashed Kylo’s shoulder, producing a sharp burning pain, shooting from his shoulder to his collarbone and neck. Dark anger swept over him, for being so careless. He parried Finn’s next attack and disarmed him swiftly, before spinning behind him and slashing up along his spine, putting him on the ground unconscious.

With him out of the way, Kylo sheathed his saber and reached out to Vader’s old saber, his mind feeling the tendrils of energy coming from the crystal within. It trembled, but would not answer him, as he renewed his drive, demanding that the saber come to his hand.

To his great surprise, it shot out of the snow and whistled past his nose.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``

Rey’s eyes widened when the saber snapped into her hand. She had only reached for it out of desperation, but the lightsaber seemed eager to please her. She had reached out to it, feeling the crystal within it calling to her. Kylo looked at her with fury in his eyes, driven mad by the pain, though she knew instinctively the wound in his side wasn’t the only factor in his madness. Kylo looked at her as if to ask, ‘How? Why?!’ ignoring the look on his face, she held the lightsaber the way she had seen Finn hold it and igniting it. Kylo did the same, the motion smooth and easy as he pulled his from the clip on his hip and spun it in a wide arc. She felt the cool, calm pool of energy in her mind more clearly with the saber in her hand, and when she opened her eyes she began the attack.

With a hoarse battle cry on her lips, she stabbed forward. Her attack was easily blocked by Kylo, who returned the blows, which she barely blocked in time. She got the sense that he didn’t really want to kill her. The spikes of thoughts coming from his mind were sharp, but not aimed at her. He only wanted her to submit to him, to yield the old lightsaber, the way Kylo had tried to force Finn to yield.

Her thoughts however, ran a different path. She sent spears of thought at him, trying to distract him as she continued her wild flurry of attacks. She slashed high, hitting a tree instead of Kylo’s neck. He mirrored her easily, deflecting blows and spinning attacks aimed just over her head.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Kylo staggered back as Rey continued to attack him. He could feel her consciousness attacking him. She was so strong, and so angry. He backpedaled underneath her saber before sweeping his over her head, sending her scurrying back. He slashed again, spinning as he cut down a tree beside her. They paused, and he could tell she was sizing him up again. He watched her carefully, striving to keep the pain in his ribs and heart at bay. He would not kill her.

In an effort to force her down, Kylo began the attack, battering her repeatedly and relentlessly as they plunged deeper and deeper into the forest and into a ravine.

A massive explosion rocked the planet beneath their feet. Kylo staggered, the ground shifting quickly. To his surprise, Rey seemed to take it all in stride, and he admired her for her versatility. ‘She will become very strong indeed.’ He thought to himself, right before she tried to decapitate him again.

They attacked one another quickly and viciously. To Kylo, Rey didn’t seem to be tiring at all, fueled by her raw anger. As she danced with his grandfather’s saber, she danced on the edges of the Dark side.

Kylo roared as he pushed her back with a spin, splitting rocks on each side of the ravine, sending her running up the side. He took aim at her feet, his Dark madness threatening to overcome him. She sprang up easily, attacking him before fleeing again, slashing a tree to slow him down. He gave chase, like a wolf hot on the trail of his quarry. He attacked, again and again, putting Rey on the defense this time as she absorbed his powerful strikes. The ground behind her shifted ominously.  
Kylo battered her one more time, until his saber was almost at her throat, held back only by her saber. The ground behind her collapsed, and to his satisfaction, he saw her own fear and mortality in her eyes as she struggled to keep his saber away. She grunted, focused on the connection between their sabers, painting hard, fear making her eyes widen. She whimpered, seemingly ready to give in.

Kylo pressed hard against her, “You need a teacher!” He said, seeing her strength, “I can show you the ways of the Force!”  
“The Force?”

To Kylo’s confusion, Rey withdrew her angry spikes of thoughts from his mind, retreating into her own. He could sense her inner fire become ignited anew.


	8. Light/ Dark

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The end of Rey and Kylo Ren's battle.  
> (Don't worry ;) there's more to come...)

“The Force?” Rey gasped.

  
Maz’s words echoed in her mind, _“Close your eyes…feel it. The Light. It’s always been there. It will guide you.”_ Rey closed her eyes, accessing the cool, calm pool of energy once again, letting it wash away the fire in her veins. When she opened her eyes, she felt calm again. She could see everything so clearly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``

Kylo heard Snoke’s voice in his head, over and over, driving him further into the Darkness, and away from the Light that Rey gave off. Her hazel eyes opened, flashing red and blue with the lightsabers' light in her eyes.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``

Rey shoved him off, shouting as she spun around him, the strength of the Dark and the Light flowing through her. She channeled both, hammering away at Kylo, wearing him out until she skimmed his thigh, taking a piece of his cloak with it. He staggered back up, and swung wildly. Rey saw it coming a mile away, and dodged it easily, retaliating with a stab to his shoulder. The cloth around the wound smoked, as he staggered further back, his wounded leg slowing him down. The Dark threatened to overwhelm her again as she brought the lightsaber above her head, bringing it crashing down against his, and kicking him hard in the chest, sending him to the ground on the flat of his back. His saber hit the snow, producing loudly hissing steam, as he scrambled to his feet. She waited patiently, circling him with her saber ready to strike.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``

She looked like a tiger to him, prowling, looking for another opening, another weakness in him. Snoke’s voice was driving him over the edge, as he fought to stay alive.

  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~```

  
Rey saw him swing his saber around as she did hers. She caught the hilt of his saber with her free hand, just as his caught hers. They danced around one another, neither yielding nor attacking. This was a show of strength as they grappled for dominance. Rey gave a shout and leaned hard, driving Kylo’s saber into the snow, hot steam blowing in her face. Her hand crept over his, trying desperately to shut his off. He growled furiously, his teeth bared. Rey groaned, ‘Just a little more.’ She struck his saber with hers, cutting it in half, and spun, delivering a wide cut to Kylo’s face. She stood there in the snow, victory washing over her with the freezing wind.

Kylo pushed himself up, panting hard, his wounds taking their toll. He looked at her with something new in her eyes. Before she could do anything else, the land split in half, creating a lava filled gorge that she couldn’t cross even if she wanted to. Shutting off her lightsaber, she bounded back the way she came, searching for Finn.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~````

Kylo pushed himself up, coming to his senses. Snoke’s voice was gone, but his shoulders, face, and thigh hurt terribley. The gaping wounds were taking their toll on him, as he gasped for air. He locked eyes with Rey, seeing the Darkness that lay within them. He dreaded her next move, convinced she was going to kill him.

Fate however, seemed to intervene. The ground in front of him gave a shudder, until it finally gave way, pulling Rey from him.

  
As Kylo lay there in the snow, watching Rey turn and run, he recalled an exchange with Snoke. _“Even you…Master of the Knights of Ren, have never faced such a test.”_

  
_“She means nothing to me.” Kylo replied, “I will not be seduced.”_

_“We shall see.”_

  
Kylo screamed. He keened for Rey, and cried out in pain. He wanted to bury his feelings for Rey, but he couldn’t. He had hoped that by killing his father, any Light in him would have been snuffed out, but it didn’t. His brush with her consciousness had infected him with her Light. With his mind cleared of Snoke, he saw a chance at redemption. He saw hope with her. And now he feared that Rey would be lost to him forever, and so Kylo wept, his hot tears making the burn on his face hurt even more, as they froze and clung to his cheeks.

  
When he saw a bright light coming down from above him, he had run out of tears, and lay there in the snow, shaking. Hux, and two medical officers appeared above him, hosting him onto a stretcher and bringing him into the belly of the transport ship. They cut away the remains of his tunic, leaving on his arm wraps and pants, and began to apply ointment to his burns, and heating pads all around him to bring his temperature back up.

  
“Kylo Ren? Can you hear me?” Hux was bent over him. He let out a long moan in response, Rey’s name on his lips.  
“Where has she gone?” He groaned.

  
“Snoke’s priority was taking you back to his palace, not tracking the girl.” Hux replied, his face like stone, “So, how are you feeling, Ren?”

  
“Like bantha-shit.” He groaned, turning on his side.

  
“Careful Ren,” Hux ordered, “You’re wounds are much more serious than you think.” He nodded to the doctor, who injected him with something that made him sleepy…so….sleepy. He gladly fell into the waiting arms of his dreams and darkness.


	9. In Dreams/ Waking Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> post movie story, all original thoughts. Enjoy!

After a year of training with Luke, Rey’s body was even more toned than it was before. She was stronger in her mind too. She had great control over the Force, and the flow of energy around her. Her skills with the lightsaber had improved as well. Luke Skywalker was an excellent teacher, even if he had his odd moments. They had an excellent relationship as student and teacher. She told him everything, except for one thing. Her dreams of Kylo Ren. She had been having them since the night she left Star Killer base. At first, she lashed out at him in hatred, but she gradually learned more about him through Luke. It turned out, Kylo had been dealing with a lot of bullying from the other padawans, because of his heritage, and his admiration for Darth Vader. Eventually, in her dreams she warmed up to him. She even spoke with him after a while, and one day, without realizing it, she began to look forward to their dreams. She couldn’t wait to see him again. She met him in the forest, in the place where they saw one another for the first time. He was crouched on a mossy rock, facing the sun, his glossy black hair shining in the orange setting sun. He turned to her, feeling her cool presence enter his mind, accepting her in as did she. She felt the warmth of his mind in gentle tendrils, mingling with her own consciousness. She could sense the roiling darkness behind his warmth, but she understood it was a part of him.

“Kylo-“

“Call me Ren.” He said, rising. He always told her to call him that.

Rey smiled, “It’s good to see you again Ren.” She drew closer, until she was mere inches from him. He glanced away, hiding part of his face from her. “Ren what is it?”

“It’s nothing.” He replied.

“No, show me.” She pressed two fingers against his jaw and turned his head easily, her eyes taking in his scarred face, followed by a large bruise on his cheekbone, and a split lip.

“The Supreme Leader was dissatisfied by my efforts today.” He mumbled.

“He’s been growing bolder with his punishments lately.” Rey remarked, “If you would just tell me where you are, I can help you. We can help you escape from Snoke. Just let me help you.”

Ren held his head in his hands, “He’s too powerful Rey. There’s nothing you can do to save me. I am Darkness.”

“But Luke taught me that to bring balance back to the Force, Darkness and Light must coexist together. It’s not just a balance of Light and Dark within ourselves.”

Ren smiled, “This is why you are his pupil. There is so much Light in you Rey.” He gazed at her lovingly, seeing tendrils of blue and white light shining behind her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``

Rey watched Ren carefully. His aura sometimes shined around him, but it was mostly red and black. She’d see streaks of white light flash through now and then, but she accepted his Darkness, as he accepted her Light. Just because his aura was Dark, didn’t mean he was a bad person. She knew that now. She found herself drawn to him. She loved him, as one person can love the soul of another. It was a very human feeling for her, loving someone she once considered an enemy.  
Sometimes they would meet in a strange landscape, or in a familiar place, be it a place reminiscent of Star Killer Base, or Jakku. Other dreams, they relived adventures that came long before them. Once, she found herself scantily clad in a gold and burgundy bikini, with a chain wrapped around her neck. It was Ren who came to her rescue, after she overcame her captor by strangling him with the chain. Ren swept her off the ship and onto a getaway ship, where he took off his black cloak and wrapped it around her. He touched her chin affectionately, “Black looks good on you.” He said.

Rey gratefully wrapped around herself, feeling self-conscious about her appearance. Ren seemed able to control the urge to look closely at her body. It was written on his face…’Boobs’ and his chivalrous moment was so sweet, she couldn’t let herself laugh at the expression he wore every time the cloak slipped off her sloped shoulders.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Ren kept finding himself staring at Rey. Not just her body (with her admittedly strange tan. Her entire torso and shoulders, and thighs were pale, but then only parts of her arms and legs were tanned by the hot Jakku sun.) He found her beautiful all the same, even when she awkwardly bundled herself up in his cloak, trying to cover up.

He liked meeting her in his dreams. In his dreams, he didn’t have to be Kylo Ren all the time. He knew he could never be Ben again, but he decided he could just be Ren. He could loosen up, and let parts of him come out, that he didn’t know he was, and he liked that about Rey. She could pull out pieces of Ren that he didn’t know were there.  
In some of his dreams, she was in danger, and he had to save her. Ren liked playing the hero, and seeing that sweet smile on her face, the way her eyes would flit up and meet his shyly. Other times, he was in trouble, and Rey would come out of nowhere, teeth bared with a war cry rising from her throat. She dove headfirst into whatever peril their dreams had taken them without hesitation and he found himself admiring her bravery, her selflessness. Before he met Rey, he didn’t think anyone could be as truly selfless as she was. He was at peace with her. With Rey…Ren could find redemption.

With a peaceful sigh, Ren woke up on the ship, the Finalizer, wishing he could have slept in just a little more. He rolled up to sitting position, resting his head in his hands, letting his thick black hair fall around his face, blocking the outside world for just a little longer.

From the corner of his room, a pager went off, summoning him to the bridge, ‘Back to reality. Time to wake up.’ He thought to himself grimly as he pulled a black tunic over his pale, scarred torso, and slipped on his black pants, finishing off his appearance with his cape and helmet that Hux had saved. “I’m on my way.” He responded to the pager, clipping on his new saber on his way out the door.


	10. The Rescue/ The Escape

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey senses something is wrong on Ren's end, and rushes to his rescue, only to fall into a trap...

The Rescue/ The Escape

  
Ren stood before the Supreme Leader himself, bowing low. “Kylo Ren.” His raspy voice called him to rise. “Come closer…” Ren obeyed, as Snoke beckoned him nearer until at last he was so close, that Snoke placed his palm against Ren’s forehead, “I sense Light in you Ren. Does it still call to you?”

  
“No.”

“Does the scavenger girl call to you?” Ren remained impassive, “Does she call you to the Light in your dreams?” Ren’s silence betrayed him, making the Supreme Leader narrow his eyes until they were thin black slits, hiding behind wrinkled grey skin, “I sense light in you Kylo Ren. I must show you the power of the Dark side once more. I will fill you with Darkness, demonstrating its power over the Light.” He pressed hard against Ren, forcing him to his knees as Snoke invaded his mind, swallowing up his entire being with his presence, “I will snuff it out.” He said.

‘~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

“Luke, something is wrong.” Rey said as she climbed the mountain with her Master again, an exercise that prepared her for meditation by tiring her. His silence indicated that he was open to her continuing, “I’m worried about Ben…I feel something…something isn’t right.” She opened her mind to Luke, sending him her anxiety, and her fear for Ren.  
He nodded, understanding her feelings, “Come. We will come up with a plan of action. But first, we must meditate.” Rey heaved a sigh, and plodded along obediently.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``

“Are you ready for your next mission, Kylo Ren?” Snoke asked his favored pupil.

“I am, Master.” He answered, his new helmet filtering his voice.

“I want you to capture the scavenger girl, this…Rey, and I want you to bring her to me.”

Kylo bowed, “I will do as you ask, Supreme Leader.”

“Good. Now go.” He waved him away.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``

Rey meditated all day with Luke, conversing through the flow of the Force, and feeling the Universe around her. She opened her eyes, “I know where he is.” She said suddenly, standing quickly. She steadied herself on a nearby rock, feeling dizzy.

Determined, Rey grit her teeth and staggered down the hill, towards a small private transport ship she had lifted off Jakku with Chewie’s help. By the time she had reached the bottom of the hill, her heart was pounding excitedly. He was on a nearby moon. She had felt it, while she meditated.

After hours in the cockpit, Rey round a suitable landing spot, stirring up dirt and moisture as she landed. Her heart pounded excitedly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``

Kylo Ren sat up straighter. ‘She’s here.’ He thought to himself, rousing himself from his seated position at the base of a tree. He had connected to the roots, fleeing everything around him. He sensed the disturbance of the ground, and felt two gentle feet touch the earth.  
In no time, he tracked down the source of the disturbance. As soon as he laid eyes on her, he felt a tremor run through him, mirroring the tremor that ran through her. “Ren!” She cried, running to him. Lowering his gaze, he stopped her in her tracks.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``

“Ren? What are you doing?” He held up his hand, paralyzing her, “Ren?!” He didn’t respond.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``

He narrowed his eyes. Clearly the girl knew him. He didn’t recognize her though. With a flick of his wrist, the girl fell into his arms. As she fell, her hand brushed against his, sending a tingle through him. He shook the feeling off, and carried the woman to his flier, despite offers of assistance from other Stormtroopers. He felt protective of her, even though he fully intended to deliver her to Snoke.

By the time he delivered her to the ship, she was just beginning to come around. He kept her just barely paralyzed, lowering her onto the ground at the feet of the Supreme Leader. “Well done, Kylo Ren.” He chuckled.

Kylo didn’t like the sound of his laugh, but he didn’t say anything. There was no room in his heart for pity, or compassion for that matter. All that mattered was the First Order, his loyalty to Snoke, and his dedication to the Dark side.

“Ren?” The woman spoke, shortly before gasping in horror upon seeing Snoke. He laughed again, and raised his eyes.  
Kylo watched, his face stoic as Snoke lifted her into the air, slowly crushing the air from her lungs. He could see her ribs contracting as her breath left her. His eyes betrayed him though. He was afraid for her. Snoke slammed her to the ground, forcing more air from her lungs, easing up on her long enough to allow her to have a single breath.

  
Suddenly, a presence entered his mind, frantic, but cool. Much different than Snoke’s mind. “Ren…please…” it was her voice. Rey. It was Rey’s voice in his mind. She pressed the very core of her being, her every intimate thought into his. Light bloomed within his mind and his heart. His true memories were slowly coming back…memories he had not recalled until now…

Soke laughed as he forced Rey to her knees, making Ren’s heart wrench painfully, “Ren! There’s still hope!” Rey cried, “You are not Snoke’s! His darkness is not yours!”

Kylo Ren, for the first time, raised his hand to Snoke, his fingers curling into a claw. Snoke gasped, dropping Rey, “What are you doing boy?!”

Rey fell to the floor gasping for air, her chest heaving. The ship shuddered horribly, as the rest of the fleet opened fire on the Finisher. Ren turned to her, “GO! Run!”

“I’m not leaving without you!” She cried.

A sudden blast cracked the window behind Snoke, letting precious oxygen escape through the cracks. Another blast sent chunks of the ceiling raining down, “There’s no time!” He shouted back, struggling to keep Snoke under his power, “Get to an escape pod before it’s too late! I’ll find you!”

“Rey spared him one final look before breaking into a limping run. As soon as she was gone, Snoke began to laugh. Horror overcame Ren as he felt Snoke turn the tables on him, “Listen boy, and listen well.” The old man hobbled close, keeping Ren frozen in place, drawing a knife from behind his saber and pressing it against Ren’s neck. After a moment, he moved the knife to rest just below Ren’s ear, before his fingers found a long braid tucked in Ren’s locks, and cutting it away, “Get out of my sight.” Ren felt Snoke release him, and scrambled away with the Supreme Leader’s laugh following him, “I will find you again, mark my words Kylo Ren!”

He rounded the corner, nearly mowing down Rey, “I told you to leave!”

“And I said I wouldn’t leave without you.” She replied grabbing his hand, “Come on let’s go!” She pulled him into an escape pod. As soon as they were in, Ren closed the door, sending the pod shooting out into space.

“I know a place where we can be safe.” She said to him as she punched in a set of coordinates. Rey turned sharply when she heard Ren let out a shuddering breath, “Are you hurt?” She asked him, concerned, “Did Snoke wound you?”

Ren’s head fell into his hands, as he continued to tremble. To Rey’s surprise, she realized he was crying. She sat beside him, wrapping her arms around him. “I tried so hard.” He murmured, sitting up. He took off his gloves and stared at his hands before Rey’s cool hand rested on his jaw, turning him toward her, “I tried to bury my love for you…and you nearly died.” His warm hand brushed against her cheek. “Forgive me.” He breathed, Rey turned and kissed the palm of his hand, and then pressed it against her chest, just above her heart.

Ren felt the strong beat of her heart against his hand, her warmth seeping into him through her touch as her heart pushed his hand up. “Don’t be afraid.” She said, her other hand touching his cheek tenderly. Ren leaned his head against her breast, and she held him until he had finished crying. When she looked at his face again, he looked exhausted to her, so she found a hatch that folded open to reveal blankets and pillows. The bench seat that Ren was on folded out into a large bed, “Come on. We need to rest. The pod will pilot itself.”

“Are you sure it will make it?” he asked her.

“I shut off everything but the vitals and the navigation to save enough power to get us there.” She shivered, “Unfortunately that means it’s going to get very cold in here.” Ren opened his arms to her, wrapping his ragged cloak behind his back and around Rey, before pulling the blanket up to her chin, letting her snuggle deep in his warm embrace as she puffed warm air into the layers of fabric. She hummed contentedly, before falling asleep.

  
Ren felt the change in her heartbeat, as it slowed with her breathing. She was so relaxed, so angelic looking in his arms.


	11. The Destination/ The Journey

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> During Ren and Rey's escape, they experience a new dream together, one that catches both off guard, napping on their way to a safe-house after escaping Snoke...

Ren stayed still, his back against the side of the ship, Rey’s head resting on his shoulder. He overlapped her arms, which were crossed over her stomach. He watched her flinch in her sleep, gruntin

g sharply. He wove his fingers between hers, kissing her forehead, and closed his eyes, falling asleep easily.  
Rey screamed, turning and running, “Rey!” He called after her. She ducked around a corner, and was gone from view. A piercing scream rose behind him, the source being a huge rathtar. Ren shouted and ran after Rey, the rathtar in pursuit. He reached for his saber, but it was gone. Rey screamed again, nearer to him this time, “Rey!”

  
He rounded the corner, and instead of finding the woman he knew, he saw a little girl, curled up in the corner with her back to him. “Rey?”

  
The girl turned her head to him, bringing her hands down from her ears, tears running down her pink cheeks. “Ren?” She sniffled.

  
Unsure of what to do, he stood there awkwardly, until the rathtar came around again, screeching. Little Rey screamed, covering her ears and crying. Ren strengthened, standing his ground. For some reason, the dream-rathtar hesitated to attack, its multiple tentacles swinging back and forth, gnashing its horrible teeth in frustration.  
His face twisting into a snarl he spoke softly, “Get away from her.”

  
The rathtar advanced on him, battering him with its tentacles. Ren weathered the attack, “Stay away!” He commanded. He reached one gloved hand out, and pushed hard with his mind, sending the creature crashing into a wall, where it dissipated. Ren turned around to see little Rey still crouched in her corner, “Its okay now.” He said gently, “The monster is gone.”

She turned around, sniffling, gazing up at him with impossibly wide eyes, taking in her surroundings as if to confirm his words. Rey subsequently threw her arms around his neck in a tight hug, “Thank you.” She said softly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``

The alarm system on the ship started screaming, making Rey jump out of bed, falling on her way to the cockpit, her breath hanging in the air. “We’re getting close!” She shouted to Ren, who was groggily shifting in place, “Strap yourself in! This landing is going to be rough!” In no time at all, their pod crashed through the atmosphere. At the last moment, Rey managed to buckle herself in, and hoping that Ren did the same, just moments before the pod crashed into a massive sand dune.

She came around minutes later, when Ren shook her shoulder while he unbuckled her, “Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” She mumbled, standing up and gaining her bearings, opening the emergency hatch and climbing out, followed by Ren.

“Where are we?” He asked, squinting as the sun beat down on him.

“Somewhere Snoke would never think to look for us.” Rey replied, “We’re on Jakku.” She squinted as well, and gestured for him to follow her, “Come. Just up to the top of this dune.”

Dutifully, he followed her, feeling a thin layer of sweat build up beneath his black garb. At the top of the sand dune, was an AT-AT, stretched out on the ground. Rey ducked under one of the legs, before pushing on a panel in the belly. Cool air rushed past them, “Come in.” She said, tugging on his hand. She stood in the middle of the fallen machine, facing him now, gauging his facial expression.

“This is…your home.” Ren said. He had seen it in her mind before. It just looked…so much more dismal, and grey. There was a shabby bed with a single pillow on it, shoved in a corner. There were homemade cabinets, shelves, and a miniature kitchen on the other side. Rey didn’t answer him. She watched him as he explored her old dwelling, scrutinizing the old Rebel helmet she kept on her shelf, before picking up the small crude doll she had in the likeness of a Rebel pilot, made from scraps of orange cloth likely taken from an old uniform.

Rey went to the decimated cockpit of the AT-AT and flicked a switch, dimming the lights by half, “Its better if we save energy. It’s costly to have.”

“You rewired the cockpit.” He sounded surprised.

“It’s a side project that keeps me busy when the sandstorms trap me inside.” She pointed at the switch closest to the kitchen, “This controls the stove. The red one here controls the lights, and the orange one controls the door.”  
Rey shed her leather belts and trailing scarves, shutting them in a low cabinet, followed by her boots and straps, leaving on her tunic and pants.

Ren gazed hungrily at her loose tunic, which fell open as she put her boots away. Rey caught him staring, “What?”  
Ren stammered in a poor attempt to hide his thoughts before settling his eyes on a trinket hanging above her bed, “What’s this?”

Rey smiled and came over, “It’s a dreamcatcher. I wove it out of wire and glass. The bead in the middle, it’s supposed to catch all your bad dreams so that you don’t have nightmares. The bits of metal and glass hanging down are supposed to please the desert spirits when you make them chime.” Rey said, letting her fingertips brush against it, producing a sweet tinkling and clanging of metal and glass. Finally, she withdrew her hand and started dusting off the counter, “I know it’s not much, and it’s certainly not what you’re used to, but it’s a long enough way from Neema that we won’t be seen from there, and the First Order won’t bother coming to a piece of junk if they’re still looking for us.”

  
“It’s perfect.” Ren said, wrapping his arms around Rey’s waist, his brown eyes ensnaring hers. She smiled, kissing his cheek. Ren returned the kiss, and tried to give her more, but she wriggled out of his grasp.

“We need to make this place habitable again. The door doesn’t lock, and the sheets need to be cleaned, if not at least shaken out.” She said.

“You know this place better than I do. I’ll clean up, while you fix the door. How hard can cleaning be?”

Rey grinned, “Sounds like a plan. Let’s get this done before nightfall. Oh, you also need a change of clothes.”

“What’s wrong with what I have on?”

“You’ll get heatstroke in no time at all, wearing that pitch black garb. Here…” she dug out an extra pair of pants and a tunic, both big enough to fit Ren without one of her belts, “Put this on.” She went outside while Ren changed clothes, inspecting the AT-AT. Water levels in the re-purposed fuel tank were getting low, but not worrisomely low. Thanks to the hot, dry desert, corrosion to the outside was at a minimum as well. She went back inside, to see Ren completely changed into his new clothes, already tugging at the dusty sheets of the bed.  
Together, they shook out the sheets, and dusted the entire place from top to bottom.


	12. The Rain

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rain comes at last to the desert, as well as...other long awaited things... ;)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *cough* LemonsAhead...  
> excuse me.

Exhausted, and more than a little sweaty, Rey finally called a halt to their cleaning spree. By then, night had fallen and the moon was on the horizon. She showed Ren how to wash himself with only a small pan of water, cleaning herself in another part of the ship, out of his view. She changed into her loose pants and shirt. Going to her bed, she found Ren sitting on it in only his black pants. Rey gazed at his long, muscular, scarred, attractive torso, swallowing heavily, feeling an intense heat rise from her nether region, to her cheeks. She swallowed again, pushing down the primal urge, climbing into bed with a low groan. Ren caught her easily, rolling with her so her back was pressed against his chest. As he pulled the blanket over them she turned her head slightly, “My shoulder blades aren’t digging into you, are they?” she asked softly.

  
“No.” He murmured, shifting so he had one arm under her head, and the other over the curve of her body between the end of her ribs and the beginning of her waist, his hand wrapped around hers, tucked up against her chest. She sighed, humming contentedly before falling asleep.

  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``

That night, Rey woke up with a start, jerking awake and accidentally elbowing Ren in his ribcage, “Hmm?! What?” he groaned, jumping out of bed, his hand fumbling for his lightsaber on the nightstand, his tired fingers unable to grasp the weapon. It fell off the table, and just before Ren could grab it, Rey held up her hand, her ears listening to the soft tapping of something on the outside of the AT-AT. A low rumble, crackled and rolled across the skies, causing her to dart for the door, throw it open, and poke her head outside, “Rey!”

Rey turned and grabbed his hands in hers, making him drop his newly found saber, “It’s raining!” She shouted happily, pushing past him to grab pots, pans, jugs, and bowls from the kitchen and taking them outside. She set them all out along the sides of the AT-AT, before climbing on top, and pulling out a rubber stopper, where she had a funnel for rain, that would collect in the old fuel tank of the machine to act as a reservoir for water during the dry season. “It’s raining!” She shouted happily again, standing in the open, letting the rain pelt her thin frame, soaking her white linen clothes, rendering them almost transparent. She climbed down, ran a few feet out into the desert, her arms thrown wide open to feel the rain. She turned and looked at Ren, “Come on!” she ran back for Ren, who was still standing in the doorway of the AT-AT, grabbed his hands and pulled him out into the rain, “Feel it?”

  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``

Ren was surprised when she grabbed him by his hands, her slender fingers grasping strongly at his scarred hands, “Come on!” The cold rain gave him a shock as they struck his bare torso, making him tense up. Rey dragged him further out into the rain.

He shivered for a moment, “Its cold.” He remarked with a smile, and watched Rey laugh, a sound full of mirth, pure glee written across her face and in her hazel eyes. He spewed water from between his lips, pushing his soaked hair away from his eyes.

“Isn’t it wonderful?” She asked him, spinning around, the rain, her hair coming loose from its ties and spraying water out horizontally, before stopping, letting it splay out across her shoulders, sticking to her skin.

He smiled, admiring the view, her thin clothes clung to her body, while the rain dripped down her bare skin. “Dance with me!” She said, coming closer, exhaling sharply between her lips to clear the rain from her mouth, blinking away the rain that continued to pour down her face. Ren stepped forward, putting one of his hands around her waist, and the other in her hand. He started slow, shifting his feet much the way he would during a fight. Rey took to the steps easily, her mind connecting with his to anticipate his moves. He gasped at the intimacy of it. She surrounded his entire being, but it was non-intrusive. He felt comfortable, even safe, with her wrapped around his mind.

Faster and faster they moved, spinning around, separating only to rejoin one another as they spun and jumped, splashing through puddles around their metal home. Rey leapt and twirled, energized by him. Ren wrapped both hands around her waist, and tossed her high, spinning her through the air, catching her and absorbing her momentum easily as he brought her back to the ground. Rey laughed, delighted. She pressed herself against him, her eyes locked onto his, and her lips just barely parted. All at once, she kissed him, her soft lips capturing his easily.

The next moment, it was all over, and she let out a long, soft exhale, her eyes moving from his mouth to his eyes, and back again.

Ren raised one hand to her cheek, bringing her attention back to his eyes. He loved gazing into her luminous hazel eyes from underneath her long eyelashes. This time, he moved forward, tasting the pink of her lips, the sweet rain that clung to her skin, and the warmth of the desert lingering on his tongue. Filled with need, he tightened his arm around her waist, bringing her even closer against him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``

Rey felt suddenly warm in his arms, despite the rain chilling her skin. She wrapped herself around him, guiding him back to the AT-AT. Rey broke away from the kiss to regain her bearings and her breath, Ren’s mouth following hers, he kissed his way from the corner of her mouth to her ear, whereupon he scooped her up easily in his arms, mouthing at her neck in the pouring rain. She moaned in his ear, her fingers winding their way into his thick mane of hair.

Ren stepped through the doorway and paused, setting her down just long enough to close the hatch behind him and seal it before he picked her up again, setting her on the counter, his pelvis between her long legs, kissing her again.  
Rey laughed against his mouth, whipping a towel out of a nearby cabinet, and throwing it around his shoulders, her hands working his back through the soft fabric. With gentle fingers, Ren pulled off her tunic, and took another towel from the cabinet, wrapping it around her. She shivered against him, her breath warm against his skin.

He gently massaged her back with the towel, drying her skin as she did the same to him. “Your hair is getting me wet!” She laughed when he tried to kiss her neck.

“I’ll just have to fix that won’t I?” He grabbed his towel from her hands, and roughly dried his hair with the towel, before tossing it away, shaking his hair out, “How about now?” He growled softly against her lips.

Rey snaked her legs around his hips and pulled him tight against her, while she wound her fingers tightly into his hair and pulling his head back to expose his neck, startling him with her ferocity, “How about we continue where we left off?” She breathed softly, before nipping his neck with her teeth, her soft lips caressing the skin after each bite. Ren let out a long moan before picking her up and taking her to the small bed sitting her on it while he kneeled beside the low mattress, showering her skin with kisses, over and over and over again, working his way down her stomach, and between her legs. Rey moaned loudly as Ren pulled her hips closer, devouring her flower before he kissed his way back up her stomach, chest, and neck.

“There are so many things I want to do to you.” He groaned against her skin, one of his strong hands supporting her back, deliberately keeping her from falling onto the bed.

Rey moaned again, barely able to form words, “Like what?”

He paused just long enough to sit straighter, his eyes level with hers, “I want to make love to you Rey.” Her breath came faster, her small chest rising and falling more rapidly, and her eyes pulling him in again. She grabbed onto Ren, pulling him onto the bed, surprising him yet again with her strength and ferocity. Their clothes fell away quickly, and soon he found himself with his pelvis between her legs again, his flesh pressed against hers this time. He worked in her, over and over again, bringing them to ecstasy.

  
Rey opened her mind to him, the sweet tendrils of her being wrapping themselves around his own thoughts, joining his, deepening the intimacy of the moment. He could feel everything she felt, just as she felt all that he felt. He gasped, shuddering against her, surrendering to her as completely as she did him. His lips formed a single word, “Rey.” 

He thrust into her, over and over again, feeling her warm, velvety insides squeeze around him, pulling him back into her every time he pulled out. Her arms wound their way under his shoulders, her long fingers clawing into his back as he filled her completely, her hips tilted towards his, her mouth open in a soft gasp. She mewled when he drove into her hard, her voice rising higher. Each time he thrust, she moaned in response, too overwhelmed to form words. 

Ren pulled completely out with a groan, struggling not to climax too soon. He wanted to make it last longer, to make her make those soft, sweet noises longer. Rey bit her lip, "Are you okay?" 

He threw a wicked grin at her, "Oh I'm more than okay." 

"Good." She grinned, rolling onto her stomach, and tucking her legs beneath her. She lifted her round backside off the mattress and swayed her hips, teasing him as she looked over her shoulder at him, inviting with a coy smile and half lidded hazel eyes. His hands roamed her flesh, squeezing and pressing the bountiful skin that was her beautiful, round butt. He kissed one cheek softly, eliciting a soft moan from her. Rey tossed her hair over her shoulder, flexing, her hips grinding close to him. Ren groaned and squeezed her softly, while he teased her with the head of his cock, the smooth skin glistening against her warm, wet, velvety opening. Rey moaned, and backed her hips up, rocking them gently, begging him to go deeper. He smiled at the upper hand he had over her, how submissive she had become at his touch, enjoying just one more moment of torment as he played with her pale, round posterior one more time before adjusting his posture, and slowly inserting himself back into her, her soft flesh once more welcoming him into her body, watching as his length disappeared into her, the tender lips of her flower embracing his member. He braced his hands on her hips, slowly thrusting into her tight body. Rey moaned in ecstasy, letting her torso and shoulders drop to the mattress, resting her head on her arms. 

Ren marveled at her flexibility, her curved back dipping down below him, making her already voluptuous butt look even more perfect as he bounced against her, thrusting harder and harder, making her moan and mewl even louder than before. Rey's heart beat hard against her chest, her breath coming in pants in between moans and waves of pleasure. The louder she got, the more excited he became, thrusting faster and faster until he could endure no more. Like a tidal wave building up inside him, he felt it coming as soon as she came around him, her nectar dripping over her flower and onto him as he continued to thrust. Like a dam breaking, he came hard and fast into her, pumping his pelvis against hers the whole while, each thrust more deliberate than the last. At last, he pulled out of her, collapsing by her side, their legs entangled in each other's.

Rey pushed his damp hair from his face, kissing him gently. He looked at her with wide eyes, exhausted. She pulled the blanket over their hips, tucking part of it around Ren as the nighttime desert air cooled them. She kissed his forehead, his cheek, and his nose, unable to fully form words, much less verbally express what she felt. She closed her eyes and heard him fall asleep, pressing herself close against him and falling asleep to the sound of his heartbeat.


	13. An ordinary day/ A change of scenery

The following morning, Rey woke up to the usual sound of birds pecking at the metal body of the AT-AT, but instead of waking up alone, she smiled, nuzzling her lover in bed, his hand pressed against her cheek. She kissed his cheek, “Good morning.” She murmured.

  
“Mmm.” He moaned, “Good morning.” He wriggled deeper under the covers and put his head against her chest, making Rey laugh at his childlike behavior.

“Come on sleepy-head.”

“What for?” Came the muffled reply.

“We have to find work. If we’re going to lay low, we need supplies, and for that we need to find work, and mingle with the locals.”

He paused, thinking through her logic, “Don’t wanna.” He mumbled, “Stay. Five more minutes. In bed.”

“Fine.” She said, “You stay in bed, I’m going to dig out some food, because you’ll probably burn it or something.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``

A few minutes later, Rey prodded him, rousing him from the bed, “Breakfast is ready.” A strange scent made him sit up against the wall, as he took in what Rey held out to him. On a plate sat a mediocre looking bread roll, and a little green patty next to it. Rey was already eating hers.

“What is it?”

“A mixture of vitamins and proteins and other nutrient rich things, vital to keeping one’s strength in an environment as hot as Jakku.” He took the plate from her, and took a bite. The bread was warm, the outside crisp and the center soft. He could definitely taste the protein in it. Ren sampled the greenish patty next. It had an odd flavor. Nothing worth savoring, but it didn’t taste all that bad. It just wasn’t good. He downed it quickly, but not as quickly as Rey did. She had licked her plate clean, and sucked all the residue of her breakfast from her fingers before he had finished half of his meal. “After you finish, I’m going to take you scavenging. We don’t have enough food rations, and we need to keep one ear to the ground, and the way to do that is to have things worth trading for information, and for that, we need to scavenge.”

Ren nodded, finishing the meager meal. To his surprise, he did feel full, despite the small portion. He donned pale scavenger garb and lightsaber, while Rey wrapped her arms and tossed on her loose flowing scarf, wrapping her belt around her slim waist, and fastening a leather cuff around her wrist. In her belt, she tucked away her lightsaber.  
She caught him staring, “What?”

“You’re just…” He trailed off, sending a flicker of a thought into her mind, “So beautiful.” He gave her the warm feeling he felt whenever he looked at her. That feeling he got whenever her eyes met his.  
She blushed, her walls going up shyly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``

She had never known love before. She had never known a relationship, what it was like to be open with someone on an intimate level, what it meant to rely on someone for anything, big or small. Rey had never really known love of any kind until the fated day, where nothing went as usual. “Come on. Follow me.” She said, “We need to go to a nearby site I know of, where we’ll get enough parts to buy some food and a new desert vehicle.” She filled up ten canteens of water, handing five to Ren and keeping five for herself.

Ren followed obediently behind her, walking through the hot desert sand. It felt even hotter than it was when they crash landed.

She led him back to their pod, and showed him how to strip it of all its valuable parts. She stuffed her bag full of parts, and his.

“Let’s take a break for a while.” She said finally, raising a hand. She took off her looped scarves and straightened them, hooking them on the ragged, picked through remains of the pod to create a shade.

They drank water together, after Rey showed Ren how to dig away the hot sand, to sit on the colder sand beneath it, to stay cool.

“Here. Let me teach you something.” Ren said after they had rested sufficiently, “Before we go back to Neema outpost.”

“Okay.” Rey replied, standing up. She drew her saber at his command, but did not ignite it.

“Close your eyes.” He said, “Awaken your senses. Feel the crystal in your saber. Extend those senses.” His hand touched the back of hers, Ren’s fingertips falling to her side. “The lightsaber should be an extension of your body. You need to feel it, be one with it.” Ren said, running his hand along the length of her outstretched arm, tucking his body against hers.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``

Ren felt the Force thrumming in her, hammering through her veins. He felt her senses extend, reach, touching everything around. He slipped into her stream, and felt the lizards under the pod, the snakes buried in the sand. He felt the Sand People from miles away, riding their great elephants. Luke had done well training her. Now Ren could help her focus her power, and channel it in any direction she wanted.

“I can hear you.” Rey smiled, her eyes still closed.

Ren withdrew into his mind again, “Sorry.” He apologized, “I didn’t mean to intrude.”

Rey pressed herself against him, “I don’t mind it so much. Come on now,” She withdrew back into her own mind, “We need to get to Neema before the markets close. We won’t last much longer without transport and food.” She cocked her head at him, “Then maybe we can think about killing Snoke.”

Their progress through the desert was slow, and right when Ren thought the sand would never end, Neema outpost’s arch appeared beneath the massive dune he and Rey scaled. “Now remember, the traders here know the worth of these parts, but they’ll try and cut you low. Add ten Credits or two portions onto whatever it is they offer you, and don’t look like they can take advantage of you. You’ve got to look like you know how much your parts are worth.”

Rey wound her scarf over her face and body, to hide herself from people who would have recognized her, Unkar Plutt especially. She directed Ren to a tent in the middle of the outpost. He laid out all the parts, and the owner gave him an offer of eight portions. ‘Add ten more portions.’ Rey said to him in his mind. He did so, and after an intimidating glare, they settled for fifteen portions. ‘Good.’

On their way out of the market, a voice whispered to them, “Psst! You two! Come here!” The pair advanced cautiously, towards the source in a dark tent, covered on all sides, “I know your names. Come inside, come inside.” It urged. Ren wrapped his arm around Rey’s waist protectively, his hand reaching for his saber under his sash. Inside, a hooded figure produced a small holo-disc. After pressing a button. Ren watched keenly, as his mother appeared on the ground, spewing a pre-recorded message, “Ben, Rey. I have an important mission for you. We have word that Snoke is constructing a new base, and is hiding on Endor’s moon, and throwing a First Order gala. I need you two to infiltrate the gala, and extract information from his computer, and bring it to me.”

The figure withdrew his hand holding the holo-disc, and pressed a satchel of money into Ren’s hand, “This should be enough to buy you both disguises and a ride off this junkyard planet.” He turned on his heel and left, leaving Ren and Rey reeling from the turn of events.


	14. Settled/Exploring

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey and Ren accept their mission, now they need to find lodgings, and lay low until the fateful day arrives.

While they were still in town, Rey tracked down a pilot with a cargo ship, who was willing to take them to Maz’ palace, where they would prepare to infiltrate Snoke’s base. They left to their AT-AT to retrieve a fresh change of clothes. Ren changed into his black garb, donning a pale scavenger cloak to conceal his attire until they broke atmo. He held her hand, “Are you ready to go back out there?” She nuzzled his shoulder, “I’m not ready to leave our little bubble yet. I wanted to show you the best scavenging spots. I wanted more time with you, alone.”  
He kissed her head, “Me too.” He inhaled deeply, “Well, the sooner we kill Snoke, the sooner we can live in peace.”

The journey to the next planet did not take nearly as long as they had thought, the captain of the ferry buzzing the intercom for them. Rey opened her eyes, shifting in place, looking at Ren, who was already awake and watching her. They were still sitting upright on their bunk, propped up by the pillows she arranged around them like a miniature sofa.  
She yawned and stretched, before turning on her side and sliding down Ren’s long torso, until her head rested on his thigh, “Five more minutes.” She moaned groggily.

~~~~~~~

Ren smiled, as her hand crept up his leg, finding where his hand rested, lacing her fingers through his. His free hand rested on her shoulder, “I’m afraid we must go. Our lodgings should be in order. We can rest there.”

Rey groaned again, “Carry me?”

Ren pressed his hand against her back, sitting her up gently, and scooped her up in his strong arms, his pale scavenger’s cloak still across his shoulders. She wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head against his shoulder, pressing a chaste kiss above his collar bone. He shivered, a smile creeping across his features again.

He carried her out the ship, ignoring the expression of the captain, crew, and any other passerby that spared a glance in their direction. He followed the directions that the captain gave him, to a nearby inn that rested close to the palace, where he and Rey would be mingling with Snoke’s elite company in two days. “Reservation for two.” He said to the young woman behind the counter, “Paid for by a generous benefactor.”

She handed him his key, but not before she leaned forward and whispered, “May the Force be with you.”

Ren nodded in return, taking the key from her outstretched fingers gingerly, still holding Rey in his arms. She was deep in sleep when he laid her gently on the bed. He wrote a note, telling her he would be back soon and left it in her open hand before leaving.

Ren threw his hood over his head, and perused the marketplace, finding a shop he remembered his mother had once been to, when he was a boy. A different face stood behind the counter, but he recalled the store well, and the quality of merchandise. “And how may I assist young sir today?” The man said to him.

“I’m in search of a gift for my Lady.” Ren replied, his face hidden by his hood, “She is tall and strong, broad shouldered, her skin tan and beautiful. She comes from the desert, and wears plain clothing. I wish to give her a fine dress of color, so that she may outshine the suns that light up the desert she called home.”

“Ah! I have just the thing!” But Ren rejected it, and the next potential item, and the one after that. Finally, the man brought out his best piece of merchandise yet.

Ren ran an expert eye over it, having found flaws in the previous three, but this one was the finest he had seen yet, and admired how the sunlight touched it. “I’ll take it.” He handed over the shopkeeper’s desired payment, waiting patiently for his gift to be packaged before he took it under his arm, and bid the man a good day.

At another shop, he did the same thing, only using the first gift to compare with, to make them match. He haggled over the price, eventually convincing the shop keeper to throw in an extra piece to make the price fair. Again, Ren handed over the coins, and let the man package the items up with the first gift. Ren smiled, and clasped the box of gifts close to his person.  
By the time he got back to his hotel room, Rey was awake. She wasn’t in the bed anymore, and judging by the trail of garments, and the pleasant aura of the Force surrounding her, she was taking a bath.

“Rey?” He called out, stashing the box beneath the bed, “I’m back!”

“I’m in here!” Her sweet voice called out in reply. He shed his pale cloak, his boots, and his long tunic, dropping them as he went. “Hello.” Rey said to him. He felt his face redden a little, seeing her in the tub, the water milky with soap, concealing her shapely bosoms, but not her beautiful shoulders, and her knees that protruded from the water, though there was plenty of room for her to stretch out. Her hair was tied back, though a few silky wisps hung lazily out. He kneeled beside the tub, resting his arms first on the edge and then his chin on his hands, looking into her eyes, “Where were you?”

“I’ll tell you later.” He said with a half-smile crossing his face.

Rey leaned toward him, her nose close to his, her mouth dangerously closer, “No, you’ll tell me now.” She bobbed forward, as if to kiss him but pulled away before his hungry lips could taste hers. “Tell me.”

‘Her mouth makes a compelling argument.’ He thought to himself, “Alright.” He moaned, “I was in the market. Shopping.”

He captured a kiss from her lips, grinning like a fox when she pulled away, her reflexes too slow to dodge his kiss. “But I’ll not tell you what I went to the market to buy.”

“But you promise to tell me later?”

“Yes.” To Ren’s delight, she took his face into her hands and kissed him deeply.

When she pulled away, she gave him a sly look, “Then join me in the tub.” Rey pulled his undershirt over his head while he fumbled to unbuckle his belt. His arm coverings came off easily, and soon enough, his pants hit the floor and he climbed into the tub with Rey, pulling her onto him as he leaned back against the other side of the tub.

“Have you had many women?” she asked.

“What?” Ren felt taken aback by her question.

“You’re practically the Prince of the First Order. You’ve had your share of exotic women from around the galaxy, yes?”

“Well no.” Ren said, “You’re the only woman I’ve had.” He almost laughed at Rey’s puzzled expression, “Don’t look so surprised!” He kissed her cheek, “If you recall, Snoke brought me under his cloak when I was just a youngling. He never gave me the talk, about how it is between a man and someone he cares about. I only learned it over the years, from hearing thoughts of others around me. There is no education on that intimate subject on Star Killer Base, or of the ways of the Dark Side for that matter. And what about you? Surely you’ve had other lovers?”

Rey shook her head, “The only men interested in me, were only interested in what they could take from me in the most abhorrent ways. So no, I haven’t had lovers. There were other young men I worked with on occasion, but they were too fond of brothels, or died while scavenging.”

Ren ran his hands down her sides, tugging on her hips gently, “I love you.” He said.  
He felt Rey’s mind enter his, and he trembled at the sheer expanse of her feelings, as she ran her finger down his face, “I love you too.”


	15. Heat/Calm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The smut you've all been waiting for. Do I need to say more?

The warm water started to cool, but they paid it no mind as they ran their hands over one another, massaging each other.  
Ren moaned, kissing her tenderly as his hands roamed wildly over her body. Rey clung to his lips, opening her mind to him, and pulling his mind open to her, not that she needed to pull it open. He opened his mind to her easily, welcoming her mind easily into his. She moaned loudly when Ren’s lips moved down to her neck, sending shivers down her spine. “Take me to the bed.” She breathed, her fingers knotted in his hair.

  
“As you wish, my Lady.” He groaned, picking her up and standing easily, as soon as his feet pressed against the soft sheep wool carpet on the floor, Rey found herself thrown over his shoulder. She squealed, wrapping her arms around his stomach with her view of the world turned upside down, “To the bed!” He shouted, running through the narrow hall and into the main chamber where their bed was, throwing back the covers and depositing her onto the bed, climbing onto her.

  
Rey laughed, wrapping her legs around his waist and turning him onto his back, “I never said I would let you have control.” She whispered into his ear, laying her body against his. She teased him, nibbling on his ear, making him groan, his hands pressed against her back. He rolled his hips against hers. She felt him ache for her, but she would not give him satisfaction just yet. She wanted to have him at her mercy for just a while longer. “Tell me what you love about me.” She murmured.

Ren moaned, “I love the fierceness and tenderness in your eyes. The view into your soul, into your heart.” He overturned her, “And I love your power. Your control.” He said, leaning over her, “I love that your power keeps mine in check. But most of all…” He paused to lean beside her ear, “I love your light. Your goodness. I love you.”

Rey’s heart blossomed within her breast as she wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him against her, “Then take me.” She breathed softly, nipping his ear. Ren brushed against her softly, before working his way into her. Rey turned him over, straddling his hips. Ren sat up, unbinding her hair, letting it fall free, his eyes watching as it cascaded over her shoulders. Rey moaned when he kept one hand on her back between her shoulder blades, while the other went to the small of her back, supporting her while he bounced her, rocking back and forth. Rey had never felt such pleasure before him, and all thoughts in her mind but one ceased, and that only thought was of him, of them together, joined as one.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~````

Ren gasped for air as he thrust into her, over and over again, until he was overcome by pleasure, falling down upon the bed with Rey still atop him. Her forearms framed his face, his hands on her hips as he continued to work in her. Rey’s hand caressed his face, her smooth fingers running down his chest as she sat up while she took over, rocking her hips, working around him, granting him a brief respite and ecstasy.

He felt her walls clench around him when he put his hands on her waist, pressing himself deep into her. Rey cried out, falling forward once again with her head nuzzled against his neck. She was like putty in his hands, moaning into his ear. He brought himself to full, after she clenched around him once more. He pulled out, the cold air brushing against him. He missed the warmth of her body, but Rey pulled up the covers, wrapping one side around him before pulling the other side around herself, and tucking her body close to his side.

After she had regained her breath, she spoke, “I’ve never been in a bed this big, or this comfortable.” She kissed his hand, “Or this warm.”

Ren kissed her, his fingers combing through her hair, “I’ve never met anyone like you Rey.” He breathed. Rey wrapped her leg over his hip, pulling him closer with a moan against his lips. His tongue brushed her lower lip, making her nether quiver. His hand captured her waist, running rampant over her ribs and pelvis, while the other cradled her cheek. His kiss was full of love and need, sucking her in and setting her blood on fire. Rey gasped, her hands making their way to Ren’s hair pulling and running through his thick silky locks. She ducked her head down and kissed his throat, letting her tongue caress the soft skin, eliciting a moan from Ren as she continued down to his chest before rising again.

“Rey.” He groaned, his hips rolling into hers and his hands tightening their grip on her. She clung to him, the way a dying person clings to life. She held onto him as if he were the only thing keeping her on the ground, kissing him as though he were breathing life into her with each of his breaths.

Just as quickly as it began, it ended, their kisses lulling into a soft embrace, until Rey kissed his cheek, her hand clasping his and closing her eyes, letting sleep’s sweet embrace pull her from reality.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~```

Ren relished being able to kiss him, to touch her hair. He felt so complete, so whole with her, “I’ve never met anyone like you Rey.” He breathed softly. Rey moaned and wrapped one of her long legs around his waist. She pulled him close to her and he followed eagerly, his hips pressing against hers. He kissed her deeply, running his tongue along her lip. He felt her tremble at his touch, while he ran his hand along her body, feeling the bumps of her ribs and the rise of her hip. His hand roamed easily over the curve of her body. Ren felt her hands run through his hair, as she ducked down and kissed his neck.  
He groaned, his hands gripping her tightly. She worked her way back up, but not before he felt her sweet tongue brush against the soft skin of his throat, and the center of his chest. “Rey.” He gasped, kissing her beautiful mouth. Her soft moan vibrated against his lips, making him roll his hips into hers. He loved how she moaned and mewled softly when he did that. He longed to plunge into her, but knew they were both too tired to have sex again. He slowed his movements, bringing his heartrate back down. He calmed her with his mind, and a gentle touch. Sleep called to them both, and before long, Rey tucked himself against him and fell asleep, her legs intertwined with his.

  
Ren sighed, watching Rey sleep. Her long eyelashes curled up, several of them made golden by the bright desert sun. Her sun-bleached hair had begun to grow out, revealing dark roots. The bath, and the sex had made her tan skin glow with health and vitality. He closed his eyes, and followed Rey into sleep.


	16. The Nightmare/ The Dream come True

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ren has a nightmare, and Rey makes an interesting discovery about her lover.

            In his dream, his eyes opened to reveal that he was standing on an island, surrounded by black waters. On an island across from him, stood Rey, bathed in moonlight. One of her hands reached out to him, begging him to come to her. He reached out to her as well, and stepped into the murky water only to be pushed away from the cold water.

               “Ren!” She called out. From the shadows behind her, emerged Snoke with a purple light saber so dark it was nearly black. Rey turned away from him, facing Snoke, her own saber drawn, illuminating her face with its ghostly blue light. She attacked first, her saber hissing against Snoke’s. He deflected it easily and pushed her off. Though Ren couldn’t see her face, he knew her brow was furrowed with concentration. She spun, and brought her blade down hard, making Snoke stagger back. He recovered quickly though, extending his hand, he pushed her back. Rey staggered. Snoke’s face twisted, pushing harder against her, not pushing her back anymore, but down. She fell to one knee, swinging her saber with bared teeth, grunting with the effort of resisting him.

               “You cannot win, girl.” Snoke snarled.

               “I…can… _try!”_ Rey shouted, standing up and charging him. Snoke hissed and brought up his saber to defend himself. Rey carried out her onslaught beautifully, her form perfect, and her ferocity in battle was beautiful and terrible to behold. Ren remembered well, the first time he crossed sabers with her.

               “You can try as much as you like, _scavenger_ …you will never be able to save him from his shadows, from his past.” Rey leaned heavily against Snoke, pressing her saber against his, her face curled with a grimace. His saber slid up hers, and with a firm elbow, Snoke disarmed her and spun her around. He held his saber to her throat, and laughed at Ren, before leveling his gaze with him. He took a long whiff of her hair, still making eye contact with Ren.

               “You can’t save her, boy.” He heard Snoke’s low whisper, “You can never have her either.”

               “That’s not true!” Ren shouted back.

               “Ren!” Rey cried.

               He thrust himself into the water, not heeding the water that chilled him to the bone. His waterlogged cloak weighed him down and pulled his head under the surface. He broke the surface of the water, paddling frantically. For a moment, he stood where Snoke once was behind Rey. His hand on her waist, and the saber at her neck. Snoke’s laugh echoed eerily over the dark water.

Rey’s eyes met his, frozen in horror. She fell at his feet, her neck slashed open and her beautiful hazel eyes stayed open, rooting him to place with an expression of utter betrayal.

“You will be the death of her!” Snoke declared, “She will die, again and again, and you will always be at fault for it.”

               Ren screamed, not in anger, but in anguish. He knelt down beside Rey, unable to touch her, to hold her in his arms. The weight of what he had done threatened to crush him completely. He had never felt such pain…not even when he had to kill his father. He screamed and screamed, until his throat was raw and his voice was hoarse. He rocked himself back and forth by her side, weeping, keening mournfully.

                “Wake up _boy_!” Snoke snapped, shaking his shoulders. “Wake up!”

               Ren glared at the old sith, clenching his fist, trying to Force-choke him.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``

               “Ren! Wake up!” Rey cried, shaking him, “Wake up!” She fought to breathe, “REN!” her throat constricted painfully, until Ren shot straight up, falling out of the bed with a heavy thud. Rey dropped onto the sheets, breathing raggedly and coughing.

               “What happened?” He groaned, rubbing his sore head, “Rey!” He exclaimed, “Are you okay?”

               “You…were having a nightmare.” Rey grunted, her fingers massaging her throat.

               He stood up, looking at her. Tears welled up in his eyes, “Oh no.” he kneeled at the side of the bed, his head in his hands.

               “Ren, it was just a nightmare. I could feel what was going on. I know you didn’t mean to hurt me.” She embraced him, pulling him back onto the bed. Her voice had returned to normal, and her breath came easier.

               “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” He murmured, curling up beside her, resting his head on her breast.

               “I’m okay.” Rey replied, stroking his hair softly, “Let’s just go back to sleep. We have a long evening ahead of us tomorrow.”

               Ren mumbled something, but Rey quieted him, her mind brushing against his, soothing him until he fell asleep. Rey linked her mind to his, anchoring his thoughts in pleasant dreamlike-thoughts. She summoned the memory of the ocean she always imagined as a girl. The water was cool beneath her fingertips, lapping gently against her hands. She floated on it, guiding Ren’s consciousness to hers, the gentle waves rocking them both. She felt a great sense of peace and serenity wash over her, like a baby it its cradle at last. “Sleep well, my love.” She breathed, kissing his head, following him into sleep on her imaginary ocean.

               ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~``

               The following morning, Rey woke up first, the first lights of dawn poking through the window. She yawed, stretching one hand overhead, while the other remained pinned beneath Ren. She felt startled when she looked down, to see that she and Ren were still naked, laying on top of their wrinkled, ruffled sheets. She shifted slowly, pulling the covers up over them to go back to sleep without waking Ren, a collection of goosebumps accumulating on her skin. Her efforts were for naught however, when a loud fist bashed against the door, “Breakfast.” A deep voice growled, before heavy footsteps thudded away and the lingering sound of a tail had dwindled to nothing.

               Ren groaned, turning his head in her breasts, “Where…what the…” His position on her must have dawned upon him, because he sat up and scooted an inch away, “Sorry!”

               Rey giggled, “I didn’t mind. Anyway, let’s eat!” She tugged away one of the blankets at the foot of the bed, and wrapped it around herself for modesty before opening the door and picking up the tray of steaming food that waited just outside the door. Setting it on the bed, Rey pulled the cover off, to reveal steaming fried eggs, and several thin slices of meat alongside the eggs.

“Are you ready for this evening?” Ren asked, cutting his meat.

“Mhm.” Rey mumbled, cramming the whole slice in her mouth, “I’m just a little nervous is all.”

Ren eyed her as she swallowed heavily and stuffed eggs into her empty mouth, “I’ll teach you the etiquette to pass for a noblewoman.”

“How hard can it be?” Another three bits were crammed in, and she sucked the grease from her fingertips.

Ren sighed, and showed her how he was eating, one small bite at a time. Rey worked hard to curb her desire to wolf down her meal, but she managed to eat the last quarter of her breakfast slowly.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

“Better?” She asked him, dabbing at her mouth with a napkin.

“Much.” He said, finishing his food, and setting the silverware on his plate. He looked her up and down, “Hair.”

“My hair?”

“Yes. Your hair. I’m going to put it up for you.” He dragged a low stool to the foot of the bed, “You’re going to sit there, while I fix you hair.” He pulled out the box he had hidden the day before, withdrawing a small box from within it, “And we’ll start with these.”

He watched her expression change, first to a puzzled face upon receiving the box. When she opened it though, her eyes lit up as she elicited a gasp, “They’re beautiful!” In her hands, she cradled several warm gold desert pearl strands. Rey turned to him, “Thank you so much!” She clutched the pearls close to her heart, sitting down obediently on the stool. Ren pulled a comb out of the bedside table, and sat on the bed with her shoulders between his knees. He pulled the comb through her hair, sweeping the long strands into an open hand. He twisted and pulled them into place, his hands always gentle. He produced a handful of pins, and inserted one in her hair to hold the strand in place. While he worked with her hair, she listened patiently as he educated her on the proper way to greet the various stations of the elite that were going to be at the party. To a couple that outranked her and Ren’s fake status, they bowed first to show respect. To a lower ranking couple, they would wait first, and then bow in reply.

“Snoke would never guess that we will be hiding in plain sight.” He said, “With the way you’re going to look tonight.”

“Can you explain your aptitude with hair?” Rey winced as Ren pulled at a knot in her hair, before twisting the detangled strand into place, threading a string of desert pearls into her hair and weaving them through the loops in her hair.

“I used to watch my mother do her hair in the morning.” He explained, stepping back, “Perfect.” He passed her a mirror for her to hold up, while he held another behind her head, to let her gaze at his creation. Rey marveled at his handiwork, speechless. “I also managed to procure a dress.”

Rey set the mirror down, “What dress?” she gave him a stern look, “It had better not be too flashy! We don’t want to attract attention.”

Ren grinned, pulling the box out from beneath their bed again, “Stand up, and close your eyes. I’ll put it on you.” She did as she was told, standing perfectly still while Ren removed her robe, and slipped something long and soft over her head before slowly, agonizingly buttoning up the back, planting a gentle kiss on her spine before each button, eliciting repeated moans from her until his lips finished their journey at her neck, sucking on the soft skin near her collarbone. Next, she felt something made of cold metal settle against her skin, being fastened into place behind her. Rey tilted her head, giving him better access to the rest of her neck as his hands finished and closed in on her body, one arm ensnaring her waist, the other hand roaming up her belly.

“Uhh…” She moaned, “Can I open my eyes yet?”

Ren took a step back, unsteady on his feet, “Yes.” He finally said, pulling open their closet door, “Turn around.”


	17. Party Time/ An Unexpected Guest

Rey did as he asked and gazed at her reflection in the large floor length mirror, gasping, her eyes wide as a doe’s, her hands covered her mouth, “It’s beautiful!” She twirled in the red silk dress, admiring the gold brocade going down the shoulder, bodice, trailing halfway down her torso. In the middle of her twirl, she noticed two long slits in the dress along each leg, ending four inches below her hip bones. “It’s so beautiful! I don’t know what to say!” She turned to Ren, who was standing there, gazing at her with that sweet lopsided smile she loved to see. She put a hand up to her neck, where a beautiful gold and ruby necklace lay in the hollow of her throat, completing her transformation from a mere scavenger into a noblewoman. “Ren, thank you so much!” She ran forward, nearly tackling him to the ground, (nearly). Ren absorbed the impact easily, giving her a little squeeze and a kiss on her head. She pulled away, “But this is a total magnet for attraction!”  
“That’s the plan.” Ren replied, “They’ll all be so distracted by you, that they’ll never notice me. Every man there, including Snoke himself will wish you were by their side, and none of them will recognize you. He’s expecting a scavenger girl. He won’t expect Lady Rey, and her escort.” He took a deep breath, gazing into her hazel eyes, “And I must say, you look ravishing.”  
Rey smiled, “If we survive the night, I’ll let you take it off of me.”  
A hint of mischief crept into Ren’s eyes, his sweet smile becoming a little dark, “Oh I’ll be sure we both survive.” He kissed her tenderly at first, his mind gently wrapping itself around hers, letting her sense the roiling passion that lay behind his soft touch, how he wanted to make love to her, how he saw her in her red dress, how beautiful and powerful she looked in his eyes, and the light that always seemed to radiate. He deepened their kiss, pulling her tight against his body.  
Tears glimmered in her eyes at the unbridled feelings he had for her, the fullness of it aweing her. His mind clung to hers, with gentle tendrils of thought connecting him to her. After a few moments more, he pulled back into his own mind, leaving her own with a sense of missing something. She touched the scar on his face, feeling the soft skin, how she could so easily find it, despite the best medicine in the galaxy treating his wounds and eventual scarring. Tenderly, he took Rey’s hand and kissed it, “I’ll be right back.” He left her briefly, to change into his own fancy attire.   
While she waited patiently, someone rapped on the door, “Delivery from a benefactor.” Came a low growl, followed by the old footsteps of the creature that had delivered their breakfast.   
Outside of their room, Rey found a box outside, with a note, “These should match your dress. –L” Rey frowned, opening the box. Inside was nestled a pair of low black boots. Eagerly, she tugged them onto her feet. The supple material hugged her skin, and fit her feet beautifully, ending just above her ankles. Ren walked out of the closet just as she finished admiring her new shoes.  
His tailored black coat fit him well, as Rey observed. She admired his trim waistline, and his broad shoulders. The black shirt looked a little tight on him, its buttons ready to pop free of the threads that barely held them in place. He wore over his suit, a deep red sash that matched her dress. Underneath his jacket, he fastened his saber. Rey handed her saber to him to hide on his person as well. “Are you ready?” He asked, holding his arm out.   
Rey gazed at the setting sun, and then back at Ren, “As ready as I’ll ever be.” They each donned a cloak and walked toward the nearest transport station headed toward the palace.  
He flagged down a man with a carriage, and gave him the address of the party, “After you, my Lady.” Ren said, helping her into the little structure. He couldn’t help but gaze at one long leg that escaped her dress as she did so. He shook himself and climbed in beside her, holding her hand the whole way. Her hand felt colder than usual. He brushed against her mind with his own, feeling her nervousness. In turn, he found the memory of her imagined ocean and brought it forth, soothing her a little. “I’ll be right here if you don’t know what to do.” He whispered.  
“Thank you.” She rested her head on his shoulder and nestled herself close to him, sharing his cloak. The night air was chilly, and she despised the cold.  
Sooner than she expected and wished, the carriage stopped and Rey forced herself to sit up, letting Ren exit first so he could take her hand and help her down. She blushed when she caught him looking up the length of her leg before meeting her eyes.  
The massive compound-like palace loomed above them. Ren squeezed her hand to assure her. They checked their cloaks in, and entered the fray of people shuffling throughout the open room, “Oh no.” Ren muttered.  
“What?”  
“It’s my mother.”  
The lady in question, Senator Amidala caught sight of them, “Ah, the young Lord and Lady!” Leia said, her hands reaching for the couple.  
“Mother!” Ren whispered, “What are you doing here?”  
She replied by pulling him into an embrace, “Seeing my son of course. Ben, it’s so good to see you.”  
“Mother, it’s not Ben anymore. It’s Kylo Ren.”  
Leia released him, “Well, I’m still your mother, and I named you Ben.” She ignored her son’s quiet protests and turned her attention to his lover, “Rey, darling you look radiant.”   
“Thank you, Senator.” Rey replied, curtsying to her elder.  
Leia’s face went deadly serious, “I’ve come to fill you in on the details of your mission, and supply you with what you need.” Rey followed her to a quiet corner, “Rey, you’re to go into the control room. Insert this memory chip into the corresponding port. It will automatically download all of his master plans, his blueprints, tactics, everything.”  
“I’m going with her.” Ren said.  
“No, the task of killing Snoke, and his followers falls to you.” Leia said.   
“I don’t like it.” He replied to her, faking a smile, having caught a noblewoman staring.   
Rey read his thoughts about the woman making him uncomfortable, and giggled behind her hand, a false mirth crinkling the corners of her eyes.   
“Go.” Leia said, “The sooner you leave, the sooner you two can get this mission finished.”


	18. Sneaking around, and getting caught.

Ren started walking toward a set of stairs that swept upward along the side of the room. Rey snagged his fingers with hers, looking around anxiously as they made their way up the marble staircase. “It’ll be alright.” He murmured to her. When they rounded a corner, Rey pulled off her fine shoes and clutched them with her free hand as her bare feet padded softly down the halls.  
Ren recalled the plans for the mansion easily, navigating the halls while Rey followed him, casting her eyes about in every direction. Finally, he pulled her into a room with a single, large desk by a window overlooking an oasis in the desert. He withdrew a small intel-drive, and plugged it in. The little machine whirred as it pulled every ounce of data onto its little hard drive before a little light flashed, signaling that it was finished. Swiftly, Ren pulled it out and held it between his fingers triumphantly, “Behold, the end of another Empire.”   
``~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`  
Rey smiled at his bravado, giving him a kiss on his cheek, “Now let’s get out of here, so I can take that dress off of you.” He winked at her, sending Rey’s heartrate through the roof. She felt heat rise in her cheeks, undoubtedly turning them pink.  
Rey turned to walk back to the gala, only to stop when she felt Ren’s warm hand graze her backside. She spun to face him, “I had to get one in.” he smiled, his expression unabashed, “I can’t help it.”  
“I didn’t complain.” Rey grinned back, stepping closer to him, until she was just barely in range to kiss him, her eyes flitting up from the curve of his mouth to his warm eyes, teasing him with her own. She bit her lower lip, letting her eyes wander briefly before she tugged on his hand, “Come. The sooner we get out of here, the sooner you can take this dress off me.” She winked.  
“Yes ma’am.” Ren replied enthusiastically, taking the lead. He navigated the halls as easily as before, but the delay cost them. Rey sensed the changing of guards in the hall, feeling a stormtrooper coming toward them.  
“Someone’s coming!” Rey whispered.  
“Let them come.” Ren said back, tugging Rey against him, his hand pulling her waist into his as he pinned her against the wall, kissing her like there was no tomorrow. Rey let out a soft moan, dropping her shoes onto the marble floor with a loud clatter, letting him lean into her as she wrapped her arms over his shoulders and around his neck. His hands moved wildly across her body, feeling her firm, round butt as she lifted one of her long legs up around his waist. He let out a soft moan as he felt her body under his warm hands, even going so far as to fondle her small breasts, slipping the little intel-drive into her bosom.  
He ducked under her arms, kissing her neck with such wanton lust, Rey couldn’t help but moan softly, her long fingers pulling at his jacket, wandering toward his belt, tempting him. Ren grinned against her skin, and worked his way back up to her mouth.  
“Hey, you’re not supposed to be here!” A stormtrooper barked out.  
Ren pulled his lips away from hers, as if startled, “What?” his eyes were half lidded, as if he were dazed.  
“What do you think you’re doing here?”  
“We uh…I was looking for some privacy with my lady here.” He said, moving a half step away from Rey and gesturing with one hand, as if the Stormtrooper hadn’t seen her already, “I mean, look at her in this red dress. If you came to a gala like this, with her on your arm, just how long do you think you could resist her charms?” Rey blushed at his praise, lowering her gaze shyly as she tucked a stray strand of hair behind her ear.   
“You need to rejoin the other members of the party now sir.” The trooper insisted.  
“Oh come on… surely you know at least one good place to get some privacy? Can’t you hook a guy up?”  
“I can write you up for disobeying my directions.” Came the curt response.  
“Alright geez, we’re going.” Ren muttered, “Come along my love.” He planted a soft kiss on her cheek, his free hand snaring her waist again as his lips moved down to her neck.  
“Come on, move!” The trooper said gruffly, “I won’t ask you again.”  
Ren pulled back with a grin, his face unapologetic, “Alright, alright, we’ll go. Don’t forget your shoes.” He stopped down to pick them up, and handed them back to Rey, who was still trying to regain her composure, teetering along after him, the Stormtrooper following them until they were back at the stairs leading down to the main ballroom.   
When they got to the bottom of the stairs, Ren tugged Rey’s hand, just two steps away from the bottom. With a squeal, she fell into his arms. He caught her easily, one hand slipping into her bosom, retrieving the little drive easily. He glanced back up at the trooper, who was still standing sternly at the top of the stairs, “The lady tripped is all.” He smiled.  
Rey laughed, “He does seem to have quite the effect on me.” The trooper shook his head and turned away, as the couple snickered behind his back. She felt Ren’s consciousness brush against her own. She nudged his in return, bringing his focus from her figure in her dress, to giving the drive back to his mother before they continued what they started in the hallway. She stretched out her mind, feeling the tendrils of thoughts from other people until she came into contact with Leia, who’s mind recoiled at the initial touch, unlike the other guests, whose minds were oblivious to her touch. “I found her.”   
Ren followed Rey as they wove through the crowd, mingling with the other guests before the met with Leia again. “Good to see you again.” Ren said, embracing his mother, slipping the drive into her hand. She clasped it firmly, pocketing it quickly before turning to Rey, “Darling, always good to see you as well.” She wrapped Rey in a hug, “Thank you for bringing my son back into the light.” She whispered in her ear before releasing her. “I think we’re done here.”


	19. A joining of bodies.

Rey took Ren’s hand, and followed Leia out of the palace to where taxi carriages awaited gusts. Leia hesitated before climbing into a carriage, “Rey, you still don’t know your parents, do you?” Rey shook her head, taken aback by such a sudden and personal question. “I thought so. I’ve been doing some digging into your parentage, and while I don’t have any confirmed answers for you yet, I just wanted you to know that we’re looking for them.”  
Hope blossomed in her breast, and tears rose to her eyes. The chance to know her parents, if they were alive, or even just to know who they were.  
Leia took one of the carriages, and waved as she drove off while the lovers took a different one. Kylo gave the driver directions back to their lodge.  
As soon as they were in their room with the door closed behind them, Kylo tugged Rey against his chest, kissing her with all the built-up tension, his every movement filled with need, and passion. Rey responded equally enthusiastically, pawing at his jacket and the buttons on his cloak. Her heart raced, and her chest heaved with anticipation. He pulled his mouth away for a moment, to plant a gentle kiss on her brow, feeling her pant against his skin while her nimble fingers working to strip him of his clothes.  
Finally unbuttoning his cloak, she cast the fabric off his shoulders. She moaned against his mouth, taking in his warm scent, running her hands through his thick hair, and across his shoulders. His hands roamed to her exposed back, playing along her soft, smooth skin beneath her cloak. Kylo picked her up, letting Rey cling to him, her long legs protruding from the slits in her dress and wrapping around his waist. He dropped with her onto the bed, her legs still firmly wrapped around him.   
He ran his fingers through her hair, tasting her sweet scent, his lips caressing her neck. A long, soft moan pulled itself from her throat. Kylo smiled as he kissed her. He loved having her melt at his touch, to be so willing submit to him. He paused for a moment to take in the sight of her again, her parted lips, her half-lidded eyes gazing up at him, half begging him to take her right then and there, half challenging him to take her.  
Rey tightened her thighs around Kylo’s waist, and suddenly her parted lips curled into a grin as she pivoted, and flipped Kylo onto his back. She wriggled over his hips, feeling his hard member through his trousers against her body, the skirt of her dress splayed across the bed. Now it was he, who lay submissive beneath her. She leaned over him with a soft growl, attacking his body with her lips. She pulled his shirt open, her fingers nimbly working the buttons through his shirt. She shifted back, wrapping her hands in his shirt and pulling her lover up aggressively, so she could work the fabric off his shoulders. He pulled himself further upright, his hands grasping her waist as soon as his arms were freed of his shirt. Rey moaned when his warm, callused hands snaked around her back, feeling the buttons of her dress beneath his fingers.   
One by one, he popped each of them free, feeling her melt like putty in his hands, her skin warm and supple under his fingertips. He slipped the dress off her shoulders, his hands running up and down her sides, from hips to shoulders, working his way up to her face. He stroked her jaw affectionately before he let the dress slide down her shoulders, and gather at her hips. Rey wrapped her arms around Kylo as he propped her up and gently sucked on her breasts, eliciting a moan from her. “Kylo.” She breathed.  
He pulled away and drew close to her lips, and then kissed her thoroughly before he pressed his forehead against hers, breathing deeply, feeling her soft breath caress him, “Call me Ben.” He whispered.  
Rey smiled, tears welling up in her eyes. He’d never asked her to call her by his given name before. He had her call him “Ren.” Before, but she assumed it was a substitute for his birth name, a middling ground between his origins and his past with Snoke.  
“Ben.” She breathed against his cheek, as his mouth found its way across her cheekbone, to her earlobe, and down her neck. She mewled softly as he reached down between her legs, and massaged her flower as he kissed every inch of her that he could. Ben laid her down on the bed, paralyzing her with his mouth. He worked down her breasts, his hands coursing over her body. When his lips softly brushed her stomach, she couldn’t stop herself from giggling, “That tickles!” Ben threw a wicked grin at her and continued to let his lips roam her stomach, his hands pinning her by the hips, until he finished having his fun, and pulled her dress over her legs and cast the garment aside before diving between her legs, his mouth caressing her flower, moving his tongue expertly. Rey moaned, her knees rising when Ben tugged on her hips, bringing her closer to him. He stayed down for so long, Rey couldn’t help but call out his name, her hips bucking as she ached for him.   
When Ben finally rose from his position between her legs, they were both panting, but he was already glistening with sweat in the moonlight. She took his face in his hands, and kissed his moist lips, pulling him down beside her while she rose above him, clawing at his pants until she had flung them across the room. She attacked his body with her mouth, starting with his lips. When his hands reached around her waist, following the curve of her butt, she grabbed his hands and pinned them above his shoulders, working her way down his chin, across his jaw, and to the soft spot just beneath his ear, on his neck. He gasped, his back arching as she nibbled and sucked on the tender flesh, letting him feel the smirk on her lips as she continued to make her way down his body. She paid him every attention he had given her before, listening to his sharp inhales, feeling the rapid rise and fall of his chest as she drove him crazy with need, and paralyzed him with her mouth.   
Finally, Ben couldn’t take it anymore. She could feel him getting close, so she relented, and crawled her way back up to him, kissing him softly. Ben wrapped one hand around her waist, his other hand brushing across her cheek and into her hair. He spun her on her back, his hand moving from her waist to the curve of her hip, while his other hand moved from her hair to beside her head, to prop himself up.   
Ben’s eyes never left her face, as he slipped himself between her legs, and entered her. He watched her mouth open in a gasp, her eyebrows coming together sharply with each thrust. She wrapped her around his shoulders, feeling the strong muscles in his shoulders and back flex ever so slightly with each thrust, his face reflecting the ecstasy in her own. He dropped his forehead to the pillow beside her. She wrapped her legs around his waist, and gasped softly, “I love you.”  
Ben pushed himself up again and looked deep into her eyes, kissing her deeply, “I love you too.” He responded. Rey brushed the hair from his damp brow and kissed his forehead gently, before he thrust in her again, eliciting another gasp from her. He felt her body close around him, like warm, wet velvet. She contracted around him as he continued to thrust into her. He loved to watch her face as he worked in her, the shape her mouth made when he gasped, the expression in her eyes, and the little sounds she made. His heart pounded harder with every little moan and mewl she made. He loved how she just melted in his hands so easily. In moments like this, he couldn’t see anything but Rey. He kissed her, listening to her moan against his mouth. Her soft lips captured his own, as her nails began to dig into his back. He felt so deep in her, it was as if he was going to split her in half. Ben slowed when her cries reached a new pitch, concerned for a moment.   
In his hesitation, Rey reached out with her mind, gripping his consciousness, penetrating his very being. His breath caught in his throat as she infiltrated every place in his mind. Her grip on his consciousness tightened, as did her legs around his waist. Bracing her arms against the bed and flexing her abs, and her walls clamping around his member, she turned him on his back with a wicked grin. She rocked her hips, her whole body undulating. She moved like waves on the ocean, always crashing into him. He couldn’t help but stare at her, his mouth agape while his eyebrows crashed into one another, in an expression of awe and ecstasy. Ben watched her pale skin glow in the moonlight, the contours of her body making shadows dance across her skin as she moved up and down on him, her chest heaving. Her small bosoms gently bounced. He longed to caress them, each roughly the size of half an orange, the perfect size for each hand, but he was paralyzed by her; his limbs felt as if they were being pricked by pins and needles. It was all he could do to hold her hips, and watch her work.   
Her skin was made more beautiful by the thin layer of sweat that covered her. She gleamed in the moonlight, like an otherworldly creature sent to take him to higher planes of pleasure that he had never felt before. His hands still on her hips, he drove himself deeper into him, finding satisfaction in the moan she let out, every time he buried himself in her, bucking his hips. The bed creaked in rhythm with their movement as she glided on his member.   
Finally, Ben pressed so deep in her, she collapsed over him. He pulled out, listening to her whine. He gasped when the cool air caressed his cock. It was a stark change from Rey’s warm body. He rolled out of bed and stood to one side, and tugged on one of Rey’s legs. She moved to the edge of the bed, on her hands and knees, her sumptuous backside to him. He admired the roundness of her ample butt, the perfect curve and symmetry of it, the way her body flowed from her sloped shoulders, the deep curve of her back, connecting to her hips and gorgeous ass. It felt so soft, and yet so firm under his hands, and he kneaded her soft flesh beneath his palms. He was so close to coming, his throbbing cock aching for her wet and warm body, he had to focus on his meditative breathing to regain his composure, until he pressed his tip against her dripping folds. Her back arched more, accentuating the curvature of her spine even more, driving him crazy. He grabbed a handful of her silky hair and tugged, her back curving even more as he pounded away at her. Her moans were accompanied by the soft smack of their flesh colliding. She panted, collapsing from her hands to her elbows. Ben maintained his grip on her hair and her hip, leaning on her for support until he shuddered, his cock throbbing inside her as she clenched around him. He felt his seed leave him as he thrust one last time, like a wave crashing onto a beach. His mouth opened and let out a groan with each deliberate thrust, until he was empty. His strength suddenly flagged, as he relinquished his hold on Rey, her soft hair slipping through his fingers.   
She collapsed to her side, her legs twitching slightly as she let out another moan, riding out the aftershocks of their love making. She opened her eyes to see Ben standing there, swaying, exhaustion painted on his glistening face, several locks of his hair pressed against his forehead. Rey wearily sat up and guided him into bed beside her. She brushed the hair from his face, combing his hair back tenderly. They shared a kiss, sleep dragging their eyes closed. With a sigh, they followed one another into a deep sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for this chapter coming so late! I finally published my novel on Amazon! check it out in my bio! <3   
> i will keep posting new chapters as soon as i can!


	20. Swimming

The following morning, Rey woke up with the morning light coming in through their balcony doors, and her head on Ben’s shoulder. The golden sun gleamed in Ben’s jet-black hair. She couldn’t keep herself from staring, as she let her eyes follow the angles of his face. She looked over his body, taking in his numerous scars, staring lovingly at his face. Ben inhaled deeply, a sign that he was waking up. She turned over, and tried to pretend to be asleep. She didn’t want to wake him to break the spell. She felt him turn slightly, tightening his arm around her, his head turning into her hair. She smiled, when she heard him let out a soft moan of contentment, and she knew in an instant, that she wanted this moment to last forever.  
His eyes opened, to see her staring back at him. He smiled, “What are you looking at?”  
“You.” She murmured, a smile crossing her rosy lips.   
He smiled and buried his face in his pillow, reaching his arm over her and tugging her against his chest. Rey hummed contentedly, her nose pressed against his chest, inhaling deeply. She loved his scent. It was deep, masculine, foresty, with just a hint of sweat from their exertions last night.  
She kissed his chest, and giggled softly, throwing one of her legs over his, latching onto him. She felt a strange sensation rise from him, and probed questioningly. “It’s called swimming. I’ll teach you in the pool if you’d like.”  
Rey grinned at him, “Let’s go!” They changed into comfortable clothes, and bought swimsuits from the hotel’s shop, and changed into their new bathing suits. Ben finished first abandoning his tent, and waded out into the water.   
“Here I come!” Rey called out.  
Ben felt his pulse rise and his blood pound in his ears when Rey walked out of the tent in her white two-piece. He was grateful he was already waist dep in the water. Rey smiled shyly, her head lowered while she gazed up at him from behind her long eyelashes, her eyes meeting his until she froze, just before her toes touched the water.   
Ben saw her hesitation, and reached out with one hand and his consciousness encouragingly. Rey waded in, her face lighting up as she got knee deep. “You can do it.” Be said, his consciousness brushing against hers tenderly. Rey stepped further into the pool, her toes feeling their way along the bottom of the pool, as if she were worried that it would suddenly drop beneath her. Ben sensed her nervousness. She’d never gone swimming before. The deepest water she had been, was in the bathtub in their room. Ben beckoned her again, this time with both hands outstretched. Rey waded further in, squealing as the water lapped at her thighs. Finally, she stood in front of Ben, “I’m proud of you.” He murmured, embracing her, still connected to her mind. He knew what a big step this was for her, but he stated the obvious question anyway, “So you’ve never been swimming?”  
“There’s nowhere to swim in the desert. I don’t even know how to swim.”   
Ben smiled at her, “Then let me show you.” He pulled Rey further into the water. It was cool, without being cold, so it was easy for her to wade in. Ben’s eyes never left here face, as he guided her deeper into the water. Rey watched her feet beneath the flickering water, as the water rose to her chest. She stopped, nervous again. Ben smiled and drew her close, and kissed her forehead, “Relax.” He murmured, “And lay on your back.” Rey searched his eyes, wary of the water, “I’ll hold onto you at first, so you don’t sink.” He swept her up in his arms, brushing his nose against hers affectionately, her arms around his shoulders. “Okay, I need you to lean back.”  
“Okay.” She let him go slowly, leaning back. Ben could see the anxiety in her eyes beginning to rise as he lowered her in the water.  
“Don’t be afraid.” He loomed over her, his lips touching hers, and kissed her until she relaxed in his arms, before he sneakily lowered her further, “Breathe.” He whispered softly against her skin, “Just…breathe.” He drew his hands downward, letting her float on her own. He couldn’t help himself, as he gazed at her, the water lapping lazily over her fair skin, as she relaxed in the water. Her expression was so serene, so trusting. He felt her uninhibited sense of tranquility wash over him.  
“I don’t feel you.” She said in his mind. He projected how he saw her, into her mind. He watched a soft smile creep across her lips, because Ben didn’t just show her how she looked. She saw into his soul, how he felt just looking at her. The warmth in him, the indescribable desire to be with her, to protect her, which blossomed in his heart, that sent his heart racing, and made his lip quiver ever so slightly.   
Rey shifted slightly, and suddenly she stopped floating. Ben stepped in and scooped her up just as her face went under. She came up, sputtering and wiping the water from her eyes. She barely opened them again, before Ben kissed her, and drew them into deeper water. Rey smiled against his mouth, and laughed when he spun around with her in his arms, holding her close against his chest. “You’re the best.” She smiled, nuzzling his nose, tempting him for another kiss. Ben chuckled, pressing his forehead against hers.   
Rey looked at Ben, his wet hair slicked back, eyes gleaming, and his mouth curved into a smile. She felt as though her whole world had shifted. She felt like a galaxy, reborn of light and fire. Her very fingertips tingled with energy from him.  
Ben set her down in the water, making sure her feet touched the bottom of the pool. He then swam deeper into the water. Rey watched how he kicked his feet, and how easily he propelled himself through the water without dipping his head below the surface. He swam so far from her, that his feet didn’t touch the bottom of the pool, and he had to tread water to stay afloat. “Come swim.” He said, connecting his mind to hers, letting her absorb his knowledge of swimming.   
She pushed off the bottom of the pool, and kicked, moving her hands through the water the way Ben did. To her surprise, the movement came naturally, not unlike crawling through a small space in an old derelict battle ship. As she drew nearer to Ben, he propelled himself away, towards the side of the pool where it was deepest.   
Finally, he stopped at the wall, soon met by Rey. With a wicked grin, he rose up and inhaled deeply before ducking beneath the water, and pushing off the wall. Rey followed him, gliding through the water easily. ‘Open your eyes.’ Ben said in her mind. She did as he asked, and was astonished to find a new world under the water, tinted a light blue. Even her hand was seemingly dyed a pale blue. Upon glancing up, she saw the light play across the water, like an expanded kaleidoscope. Rey turned to see Ben coming toward her, his hair floating in the water with the rhythm of his stroke. Rey smiled at him, and pulled herself up to the surface, standing on the bottom of the pool.  
“Having fun?” Ben asked her.  
Rey nodded, “Yes! It’s incredible! I wish I could hold my breath forever!”   
Ben grinned and tackled her into the water, his strong arms wrapping around her. In the water, Rey twisted in his arms, her hair floating around her face as she wriggled free. They floated under the water, staring at one another.  
Rey felt strange in her new environment. She felt total clarity under the water. She reached out with the Force, intimately feeling the gentle current of the water over her skin. With a turn of her fingers, she propelled herself into Ben.  
He gathered her up in his arms easily, and stood up. Rey planted a long kiss on his lips, letting her mouth trail to his earlobe, nibbling affectionately. Ben moaned, tightening his grip on her. Their minds were still connected, and he was more than happy to oblige her.  
Back in their room, Ben pulled her bikini off with his teeth. He started from the top, and worked his way down, until he had Rey squirming, moaning, mewling with want for him. “I want you.” She breathed, “Take me.”   
He gave her a long lick, and glanced up at her, with mischief in his eyes. He buried his face between her legs, taking his time, until Rey was nearly screaming his name. She ran her hands through his hair, her breast heaving, gasping for air. She writhed under his touch, mewling, whining softly.   
Ben kissed his way back up to her mouth, and very slowly entered her, shuddering softly. He kissed her, loving the way she moaned against his mouth, panting through her nose. She was like putty in his hands, and he felt a thrill go through him, every time she made one of those little noises of hers. Her long legs wrapped around his waist, an encouraging act for him. As he thrust, her hips rose to meet his, in time with the movement of his pelvis.   
They made love like it was their last night in the world, and fell asleep, curled up together.  
Later, Rey awoke to the sound of pouring rain, hitting the double doors of the balcony. She pulled on her short nightgown and leggings, the long slits in the fabric going up to her hips, letting her move stealthily to keep from waking Ben. For a moment, she began to look around for her array of pots and pans to collect water, but steeled herself, and found satisfaction in slipping out onto the balcony. She relished the feel of the rain on her skin.  
The thunder and lightning bought her comfort, as the rain quickly soaked through her nightgown. She liked how quiet the city was. There was no one on the streets tonight, as the heavens clashed above her in what seemed like an epic battle between the clouds  
Just as suddenly as the storm had rolled in, Rey sensed a Dark presence approaching. She heard a soft thump, and froze like a sand rabbit with a fox outside its den. A rough voice behind her made her skin crawl, “Did you really think you could escape my notice, little scavenger?”   
Rey whirled around to come face to face with Snoke, flanked by two Praetorian guards standing in the open doorway of the balcony. Just before she screamed, she felt every muscle in her body tense up, frozen. “I wouldn’t do that if I were you.” He looked her in the eyes, clenching his gnarled fingers and cutting off her air, and saw them wander to the bed where Ben lay, “Don’t worry about my disgraced apprentice. He’s in a deep sleep. He’ll wake up, but you won’t be here.” Rey gurgled, the pressure on her throat increasing. His beady eyes widened as he looked her up and down, “I only wonder what he saw in you, besides your fiery spirit that brought him to you.” He looked her over again, his eyes drawn downward, “I sense a disturbance in the Force…” Before Rey could ponder his words, he gave a wave of his hand, darkness closed her eyes.


	21. Alone and scared

Ben woke with a start, sitting up and casting about for Rey. His head throbbed horribly, when he remembered the previous night. Snoke had broken in, and paralyzed him. “Meet me in my office. The one you ransacked. Do it for your scavenger girl.” Before he put him unconscious.   
“Oh no…no, no, no.” He moaned, his head in his hands. He cursed himself for not being more vigilant, and he cursed himself harder for not being able to protect Rey. He threw himself out of bed and pulled on clothes.   
He hailed a carriage, before putting the driver to sleep, and hijacking the vehicle himself, driving at a breakneck speed. Urgency laid behind his every move, his heart pounding in his ears. In front of the palace, Ben threw himself from the cab, and pushed through the empty palace, and burst into the office.  
“You’ll meet on the balcony.” A servant said, gesturing through the open room.  
He waited for a short time, before he sensed an all-too familiar presence behind him.  
“Kylo Ren.” Snoke’s voice behind him made his heart stop, “Did you really think you could go anywhere that I wouldn’t find you? Least of all, a party I brought about to lure you in.” He turned around to see Snoke standing before him, with one of his massive goons behind him, holding an unconscious Rey in his arms, her silk night dress draped over her legs, and a crimson drop of blood just beneath her nose. “She’s quite strong. It took a great deal of strength to overpower her.”  
“Let her go.” Ren said, his voice shaking.  
Snoke leaned in close, seeming to grow in size, “Walk with me.” He said. They walked in silence, though Ben seethed, radiating anger in its purest form, “I sense something powerful is coming. The Force at work around the scavenger-“  
“Rey.” Ben cut him off sharply, “Her name is Rey.” He surprised himself, having never interrupted his former master before.  
Snoke’s beady eyes narrowed at him, “The Force is at work, around this Rey. I need you to do something for me, and you’re going to do it, or else I will kill her, and end the life of that grows within her.”  
Ben stopped completely, “What?”  
“Did you listen to a word I said?” The impossibly old man snarled, “I said I’ll kill her, and your children.”  
Ben dropped to his knees, his mouth agape. He didn’t even feel the pain of his kneecaps knocking against the hard ground, “She’s pregnant. Children…twins!” He murmured, half choking on his words. Tears of joy and fear ran down his cheeks, his chest heaving for air. “What do I have to do?”  
“Kill the General of the Rebellion. Leia Organa.”  
Ben sank even further to the ground, his hands on his knees, “I’m going to be a father.”  
Snoke stood in front of him, smirking, “It seems that this Rey was unaware of her pregnancy as well. Therefore, it is in the best interest of your family that you do not disappoint me again. Now get out.”   
When he left the palace, the cab driver was still there, still asleep, so he drove at a furious pace until he reached his room.  
He grabbed the decorative calligraphy set from the corner of the room. He snatched a book from the shelf at random, and tore the clearest page he could find. He growled in frustration when he found the inkwell to be empty. Angry, he took one of the quills, and jabbed it into his finger, drawing blood. With his own blood, he managed to scribble out a few key words. Leia would understand when she got the note.  
He knew Snoke had to be watching almost every move he made, so he grabbed a bagful of coins, taking out three. He hefted their weight in his hands. These three coins could buy a lot of food for a family. It was a small fortune.   
Ben stepped outside, and found a beggar boy, and passed him the note, and the three coins. “You’ll get even more when you come back. I’ll know if you delivered the note.” The boy nodded, wide eyed, and sprinted down the street, the sound of his bare feet slapping on the pavement, fading.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Rey woke up on a plush bed, in her nightgown and leggings, and a chain around her ankle. She pressed the heel of her hand against her throbbing temple, moaning. She felt sick to her stomach. She fell out of the bed, reaching for the trashcan on the other side of the room. The chain was too short to her dismay, and she retched on the floor. Rey moaned , before retching again, and collapsed a few feet away from the mess, resting against the side of her bed.   
The door creaked open, and a guard dressed in red walked in. “Where am I?” she moaned, “What am I doing here?” The guard just grunted in disgust at the mess that she made. Her hair clung to her sweaty face, “Why am I here?”  
The guard went to the bathroom, and returned, setting a glass of water down beside her, and dropped an orange on the bed, and left without a word.   
Rey sipped the water gratefully, but continued to rest at the base of her bed, too tired and weak to get up just yet. Several hours later, the door creaked open again. This time, Rey was in her bed, the peel of the orange sitting on her nightstand.   
Her heart leaped up to her throat, and her stomach did somersaults, “Snoke.” She growled.  
“Rey.” The Supreme Leader sneered.   
“Why am I here?”   
“You are here, so that my disgraced apprentice can complete his mission without interference.” He growled.  
Rey gave him a dark look, “He won’t do whatever it is that you told him to. There’s not enough darkness in him.”  
Snoke strode forward, wordlessly. Rey cringed against the headboard of her bed. She froze in place when he lunged forward, his gnarled hand pressed firmly against her lower belly, his eyes closed. He took in a deep breath, his nails digging into her skin painfully, “Yesss.” He hissed, “I feel your power.” His eyes snapped open, his mouth curved in a wicked grin. Snoke pulled his hand back, and left without another word, and leaving Rey afraid and confused. She sipped her water at her bedside, quelling some of her queasiness.   
Rey closed her eyes, and reached out, searching for Ben. Instead, her mind brushed against someone familiar.   
“Rey?” Leia asked, probing back.  
“Leia! I’m trapped in Snoke’s palace! I don’t know where Ben is. Is he safe?”  
“Ben is in hiding. He gave me a note. We’re coming to find you.” Came the reply.  
Rey probed again, but was met with emptiness. Terrified, and alone, she curled upon the bed, her chain clanking.   
For the next two days, she was bound to the bed. She was allowed to get up to relieve herself, but the rest of the time, she remained shackled. It frightened her, that her sickness had not left her yet. Each morning as she rose from the bed to retrieve her breakfast, she was reduced to a prone form on the floor, in a cold sweat and retching into a bucket. What terrified her most though, was Snoke. He visited her every morning. He rested his hand on her lower belly. After each visit, she always felt drained, as if she’d spent a day training on Ahch-To.  
Rey had just received her lunch, when she heard a commotion in the hall. Her door burst open in a cloud of splinters and smoke, from which three Rebel soldiers emerged, followed by Leia, who rushed to her side. “Rey!” She exclaimed, taking her hand in hers, noting her weakened body. She shot the chain off the bed, “Can you walk?”  
“Barely.” Rey murmured.  
Leia pressed her lips together, before passing a pill to her, “Take this.” Rey did as she asked, assuming she was given a drug to bring her back to her peak strength.   
Instead, her head dropped to the pillow, and her world went black for the second time in three days.


End file.
